Jharkhand Assembly Election LIVE: 62.8% turnout till end of voting

An estimated 62.87 per cent votes were cast when voting ended at 3 pm on Saturday in the first of the five-phase Jharkhand assembly elections in 13 constituencies, amid sporadic incidents of violence, officials said.

The percentage is likely to increase as voters who entered the polling stations by 3 pm will be allowed to exercise their franchise, they said.

A total of 37,83,055 electorate, including 18,01,356 women and five third-gender voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of polling across six districts, which began at 7 am, Election Commission (EC) officials said.

Additional Director General of Police Murari Lal Meena said Naxalites exploded a bomb near a culvert in the forests of Gumla district, but there was no casualty or damage.

"The explosion occurred near the culvert in the forests between Banalat and Biranpur villages under Bishunpur assembly constituency of the district," Meena said.

He, however, said "peaceful" polling is underway in all the 13 constituencies.

Palamau Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer Shantanu Agrahari said a minor clash broke out between two groups near Kosiyara polling station in Daltonganj assembly constituency.

The agitators broke the window panes of a police vehicle after Congress candidate K N Tripathi allegedly tried to enter the polling booth with arms, he said, adding, the situation was quickly brought under control.

Police has seized a pistol and three cartridges, which were allegedly in Tripathi's possession, Agrahari said.

The EC officials said women and youth were among the early voters in the first of the five-phase elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.

The fate of 189 candidates, including 15 women nominees, will be decided in the first phase of the polling in Chatra, Gumla, Bishunpur, Lohardaga, Manika, Latehar, Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur, Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur.

The Bhawanathpur constituency has the maximum of 28 contestants, while Chatra has the lowest with nine.

Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said a total of 4,892 polling stations have been set up, out of which 1,262 would have webcasting facilities.

Meena said a total of 1,097 polling stations in Naxal-affected areas were marked as hypersensitive and 461 polling stations as sensitive.

Palamau Divisional Commissioner Manoj Kumar Jha said the timing of voting has been fixed between 7 am and 3 pm as several polling stations are in remote areas, and also due to the shorter days in winter.

Key candidates in the fray are Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee and state Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi from Bishrampur and state Congress president Rameshwar Oraon from the Lohardaga seat.

Oraon is taking on the former state Congress chief Sukhdeo Bhagat after the latter joined the BJP recently.

Former BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore, who was denied ticket from Chhatarpur, is contesting on an All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) party ticket from the same seat.

The BJP, which is seeking a second straight win under the leadership of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, is contesting in 12 seats in the first phase while it is supporting Independent candidate Vinod Singh from Hussainabad.

The AJSU party is contesting on its own.

Challenging the BJP is the opposition alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

While the Congress is contesting in six seats in the first phase, the JMM is fighting in four and the RJD in three constituencies in the first phase.

The other parties contesting the elections are Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Janata Dal (United) and the Left parties.

The rest of the four phases for the 81-member assembly will be held on December 7, 12, 16 and 20.

Counting is scheduled on December 23.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) & VVPATs being packed at a polling booth in Lohardaga, as voting for the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly Polls concludes.

An estimated 27.41 per cent polling was recorded till 11 am on Saturday in the first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections in 13 constituencies.

The voting commenced at 7 am and will end at 3 pm, Election Commission (EC) officials said.

A total of 37,83,055 electorate, including 18,01,356 women and five third-gender voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase across six districts.

Clash erupted between BJP candidate Alok Chorasia and supporters of Congress candidate KN Tripathi in Kosiara village in Palamu, Jharkhand.

According to reports, BJP supporters prevented Congress candidate KN Tripathi from going to the booth after which a clash ensued. KN Tripathi and his supporters were stoned by BJP workers, though no one was hurt. Security personnel present with the Congress candidate dismissed the BJP supporters controlled the incident

Maoist threats appear to have failed to make any impact in the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections underway on 13 seats on Saturday, as 13.23 per cent voting was registered in the first two hours in Latehar assembly seat where the Left insurgents had killed four policemen just a few days ago.

Overall, there was around 11.02 per cent polling till 9 a.m., an Election Commission official said after polling began at 7 a.m. in Chatra, Gumla, Bishunpur, Lohardaga, Manika, Latehar, Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpour, Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur

In this phase, polling is taking place in all the Maoist-affected area a voting will continue till 3 p.m. As many as 189 candidates are in the fray, whose fate will be decided by 37,83,055 voters.

Naxals blow up a bridge in Bishnupur in Gumla district. No injuries reported. Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan says voting not affected.

Out of 4,892 polling booths in Jharkhand, 1,202 have been identified as ‘sensitive’ and 1,790 booths have termed as ‘highly sensitive’ ones with reference to left-wing extremism (LWE).

“Four out of every five Assembly constituencies in Jharkhand are affected by LWE. Out of 24 districts of Jharkhand, 19 districts with 67 Assembly seats are affected by LWE. Of these 19 districts, the situation in 13 districts is particularly bad,” Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said while announcing the dates of polling in Jharkhand.

The first of the five-phase polling began in 13 assembly constituencies in Jharkhand on Saturday.

The voting commenced at 7 am and will end at 3 pm, Election Commission officials said.

A total of 37,83,055 electorate, including 18,01,356 women and five third-gender voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase across six districts.

The fate of 189 candidates, including 15 women nominees, will be decided in the first phase of the polling in Chatra, Gumla, Bishunpur, Lohardaga, Manika, Latehar, Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur, Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur.

Key candidates in the fray are Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee and state Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi from Bishrampur and state Congress president Rameshwar Oraon from Lohardaga seat.

Oraon is taking on the former state Congress chief Sukhdeo Bhagat after the latter joined the BJP recently.

Former BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore, who was denied ticket from Chhatarpur, is contesting on an All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) party ticket from the same seat.

The BJP, which is seeking a second straight win under the leadership of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, is contesting in 12 seats in the first phase while it is supporting Independent candidate Vinod Singh from Hussainabad.

The AJSU party is contesting on its own.

Challenging the BJP is the opposition alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

While the Congress is contesting in six seats in the first phase, the JMM is fighting in four and the RJD in three constituencies in the first phase.

The other parties contesting the elections are Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Janata Dal (United) and the Left parties.

Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said a total of 4,892 polling stations have been set up, out of which 1,262 would have webcasting facilities.' Additional Director General of Police and state police Nodal Officer Murari Lal Meena said a total of 1,097 polling stations in Naxal-affected areas were marked as hypersensitive and 461 polling stations as sensitive.

The rest of the four phases for the 81-member assembly will be held on December 7, 12, 16 and 20.

Counting is scheduled on December 23.