Jharkhand polls: 65 pc voter turnout registered in 43 assembly seats till 5pm

District-wise turnout was as follows: Seraikela-Kharsawan (72.19%), Gumla (69.01%), Simdega (68.66%), and Khunti (68.36%). Other districts like Garhwa (67.35%) and Ranchi (60.49%) also saw significant participation

PTI

Ranchi, Updated At : 07:38 PM Nov 13, 2024 IST

Home Minister Amit Shah with NDA candidate Gopal Krishna Patar in Ranchi on Monday. PTI

A voter turnout of 64.86% was recorded in the first phase of Jharkhand's assembly elections on Wednesday, covering 43 constituencies. Lohardaga district saw the highest turnout at 73.21%, while Hazaribag recorded the lowest at 59.13%, officials said. Voting continued until 5 PM.

Among the 683 candidates contesting, former CM Champai Soren and ex-MP Geeta Kora were prominent figures in the first phase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters, especially first-time electors, to vote enthusiastically, posting on X, "First vote, then refreshment!" Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar also cast his vote in Ranchi, emphasizing the importance of exercising constitutional rights.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, seeking re-election, appealed for public support, promising to accelerate development. The JMM-led coalition is focusing on welfare schemes like the Maiyan Samman Yojna, while the BJP is campaigning on issues of alleged corruption, infiltration, and promoting Hindutva.

Top BJP leaders, including Modi, Amit Shah, and Rajnath Singh, held rallies targeting the JMM-led government. On the other hand, leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, have highlighted welfare schemes and accused the BJP of using central agencies against opposition leaders.

A total of 1.37 crore voters were eligible to vote in this phase, with 683 candidates vying for 43 seats. The constituencies include 17 general, 20 scheduled tribe, and 6 scheduled caste seats. In preparation, 15,344 polling stations were set up, including 1,152 managed by women and 24 by specially-abled staff.

Authorities have seized illegal cash and materials worth Rs 208.78 crore and registered 58 violation cases, with Garhwa district seeing the highest at 29 cases.

Key contests include former CM Champai Soren (BJP) facing JMM’s Ganesh Mahli in Seraikela, and Geeta Kora (BJP) challenging Congress's Sona Ram Sinku in Jagannathpur. Veteran Congress leader Rameshwar Oraon is up against AJSU’s Shanti Bhagat in Lohardaga, while JD(U)’s Saryu Roy takes on Congress’ Banna Gupta in Jamshedpur (West).

The second phase of voting is set for November 20, with results scheduled for November 23.