Women are likely to play a major role in Chhattisgarh assembly polls as they outnumber men in 39 out of the 90 assembly constituencies in the state, where first phase of elections will be held on Friday.

According to the figures released by the Election Commission, 32,08,351 women will exercise their franchise (as compared to 31,89,489 men), to decide the fate of 379 candidates, who are in the electoral fray for the first phase of polling.

Prominent leaders whose fate will be sealed in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) include Chief Minister Raman Singh, Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, Speaker Premprakash Pandey, sitting ministers Hemchand Yadav, Lata Usendi, Ajay Chandrakar and Kedar Kashyap.

Meanwhile, the voting hours has been changed for 12 constituencies in the Naxal dominated Bastar division namely -- Dantewada, Konta, Bijapur, Chitrakote, Narayanpur,

Bhanupratappur, Anagarh, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Bastar, Jagdalpur and Kanker where voting will be held between 7 am and 3 pm, officials said.

Meanwhile, helicopters were used in the transport of polling materials and the polling officials for 251 polling booths spanning across six assembly constituencies in the naxal-hit Bastar division.

8,879 polling booths have been formed for the first phase of voting, they said.

Vaishali Nagar in Durg will see the highest number of candidates (19) from a constituency in the electoral fray whereas Konta has the lowest number of candidates (4).