Jharkhand Assembly Election Phase 1 Polling HIGHLIGHTS: Polling for the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections concluded on Saturday. The total voter turnout was recorded at 62.87%. Polling on 13 seats in the first of the five-phased elections remained largely peaceful. Barring an incident of Naxals blowing up a bridge in Gumla district and Congress, BJP workers clashing in Palamu, no untoward incident was reported from the state. Polling on 13 Assembly constituencies in six districts including Naxal-hit areas started at 7 am and concluded at 3 pm. The fate of several bigwigs, including the state Congress president Rameshwar Oraon and state health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi has now been sealed in the EVMs
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A total of 37,83,055 electorate, including 18,01,356 women and five third gender voters, were eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 189 candidates in the first phase, the Election Commission said. Tight security was put in place for polling on Chatra, Gumla, Bishunpur, Lohardaga, Manika, Latehar, Panki, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur, Hussainabad, Garhwa, Bhawanathpur and Daltonganj seats. The Jharkhand Assembly has 81 seats and the BJP is hoping to retain power in the state under the leadership of Raghubar Das, who is the first CM to complete the full five-year term in the state.
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Jharkhand Assembly Election Phase 1 Voting HIGHLIGHTS
Polling for the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections concluded with a total voter turnout of 62.87%. Polling on 13 seats in the first of the five-phased elections remained largely peaceful.
Voting on 13 seats for Jharkhand Assembly elections concluded on Saturday. Polling remained largely peaceful barring a couple of incidents. Naxals blew up a bridge in Gumla district, luckily no injuries were reported in the incident. BJP, Congress workers clashed in Palamu, however, the situation was brought under control by the security forces immediately.
The first phase of five-phased Jharkhand Assembly elections is underway over 48 per cent voting has been recorded till 1 pm. Polling on 13 seats has largely been peaceful so far. Naxals blew up a bridge in Gumla district and Congress, BJP workers clashed in Palamu, but barring these incidents no violence has been reported.
Congress candidate KN Tripathi brandishes a gun during clash between supporters of BJP candidate Alok Chaurasia and his supporters. Tripathi was allegedly stopped by BJP candidate's supporters from going to polling booths, in Kosiyara village of Palamu. | WATCH VIDEO:
Despite the Naxal threat, people are coming out in good numbers to cast their vote during the first phase of Assembly elections in Jharkhand. Voting on 13 seats is underway for the first of five-phase state elections.
As many as 18 leaders have switched sides in Jharkhand after being denied poll tickets. | READ MORE HERE
The first phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections is underway on 13 seats. 27.41 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 11 am.
Election Commission officials say brisk voting is underway at many polling booth in Jharkhand where first phase of Assembly elections is underway on 13 seats. Till 9 am, 11.2 per cent voting was recorded, the Election Commission said.
Naxals blow up a bridge in Bishnupur in Gumla district, news agency ANI reported. No injuries have been reported. According to Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan, the voting is not affected. Polling on 13 Assembly constituencies in six districts is underway in Jharkhand.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "A stable, decisive and majority government is required to keep Jharkhand on the track of development and free from corruption and Naxalism. I appeal to all the voters of the first phase to vote in large numbers and keep Jharkhand on the path of development."
Voting continues at a polling booth in a Govt school in naxal-affected Lohardaga. 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 BJP is seeking a second straight win under the leadership of Chief Minister Raghubar Das. The party is contesting in 12 seats in the first phase while it is supporting Independent candidate Vinod Singh from Hussainabad seat. The AJSU party is contesting on its own.
Challenging the BJP is the opposition alliance comprising of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). 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.
BJP leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has appealed the voters to vote in large numbers in the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections. 'Today is the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly Polls. I appeal to all to vote in large numbers. Your one vote is important for the development of the state,' he said.
Visuals from the polling booth number 472 in Chatra. 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.
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.
Key candidates in the fray are BJP candidate and Jharkhand Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi from Bishrampur and state Congress president Rameshwar Oraon from Lohardaga seat.
Visuals from outside the polling station in Lohardaga ahead of the first phase of voting for Jharkhand Assembly election.
Security has been tightened in all 13 constituencies in six districts ahead of the first phase of polling on Saturday in Jharkhand. The district administration beefed up the security setup in two assembly constituencies Latehar and Manika, where a Naxal attack took place a few days ago. The administration has expressed confidence that they have made all the requisite arrangements and are sure that the voting will take place in a peaceful manner in these constituencies.