Over 71% polling in J’khand final phase

Ranchi, December 20

The polling in 16 constituencies of Jharkhand today ended with 71.26 per cent of the electorate exercising their franchise in the fifth and final phase of elections to the 81-member state Assembly as the day passed off peacefully. 

Jharkhand broke all previous polling records to witness a total of 66.03 percent of turn-out in the five phases since it was carved out of Bihar in 2000. The state bettered the previous mark of 54.2 per cent in the 2004 Assembly polls.

“This is the highest-ever polling in Jharkhand. The last phase saw a total of 71.26 per cent voting,” Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said. Chief Electoral Officer PK Jajoria lauded the police personnel and election staff for successfully carrying out the elections in all five phases. He said free, fair and peaceful conduct of elections was a matter of pride for Jharkhand.

Jajoria also commended the voters for turning out in large numbers, saying that they have become aware of the value of vote and its impact on development.

Dumka Deputy Commissioner Harsh Mangla said the polling in all the constituencies under the district concluded peacefully. The BJP and the JMM yesterday accused each other of beating up their respective activists in Dumka and other areas, respectively, on Thursday night with the saffron party registering an FIR against Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his brother Basant in connection with the incident. 

A total of 36,90,069 electorate, including 17,84,486 women, were eligible to choose from 208 candidates, including 16 women nominees, for the 16 seats spread over six districts of Dumka, Godda, Sahebganj, Jamtara, Deoghar and Pakud in Santhal Pargana region. The polling began at 7 am and ended at 3 pm.

Prominent among those in the fray for fifth phase polls are Chief Minister Hemant Soren from Dumka and Barhait, Assembly Speaker Shashank Sekhar Bhokta from Sarath and Rural Works Minister Lobin Hembrom from Borio. Prominent Jharkhand politician and former Jharkhand Vikas Dal MP Suraj Mandal is challenging the speaker at Sarath. Ruling JMM had won nine of the 16 seats in the 2009 Assembly elections.

The EC said it had marked as many as 833 polling stations as hyper-sensitive and 1,496 sensitive and 291 polling stations were made available with web casting facilities.  The previous four phase polling were held on November 25 (63.26 per cent voter turnout), December 2 (68.01 pc), December 9 (63.96 pc) and December 14 (64.63 pc) with updated polling 

percentage.  — PTI