Amid threats of Maoist violence, 18 of the 90 constituencies in Chhattisgarh will go to the polls on Monday to elect a new Assembly in the first phase of a battle in which the Congress is desperate to end 15 years of BJP rule.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj lauded the Raman Singh-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh, saying that the state's foodgrain policy was much talked about in the United Nations.

The Congress, out of power in Chhattisgarh since 2003, is exploiting the name of BJP's iconic leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to take on Chief Minister Raman Singh on his home turf Rajnandgaon that goes to the polls on Monday.

BJP promised to make Chhattisgarh a "Naxal-free" state and give pension to small and marginal farmers, as the ruling party released its manifesto for the upcoming state assembly polls.

The Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh had made the state "almost free" of Naxalism and developed it as a hub of power and cement production, BJP president Amit Shah said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi held a mega road show in Rajnandgaon, the constituency of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, three days ahead of the first phase of assembly polls on November 12.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of backing "urban Maoists" and described the left-wing extremists as "monsters with evil mindset".

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the Goods and Service Tax (GST) and demonetisation caused a huge loss to the economy.

If the Congress was voted to power in Chhattisgarh, it will write off farmers' debts within 10 days, party president Rahul Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be in Chhattisgarh to campaign for the first phase of the Assembly elections in the state.