Jharkhand Assembly Election 2019: Voting For Phase 1 Begins; 13 Constituencies In Fray

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 first of the five-phase Assembly polling for Jharkhand began in the state on Saturday, November 30.

New Delhi: The first of the five-phase Assembly polling for Jharkhand began in the state on Saturday, November 30. As many as 13 seats in the state are on the battle to elect its government as the five-year Legislative assembly term is about to end. The voting in 13 Assembly constituencies, spread over six Maoist-hit districts, commenced at 7 am and will end at 3 pm, Election Commission officials said. 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. Meanwhile, 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 on  Twitter.

पहली बार मतदान कर रहे युवाओं से अपील है कि न्यू झारखण्ड के लिए वोट करें।

देश की एकता, अखंडता के लिए वोट करें, झारखण्ड के विकास और समृद्धि के लिए वोट करें।#PehleMatdanPhirJalpan — Raghubar Das (@dasraghubar) November 30, 2019

Number of voters  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. WATCH | Jharkhand Election: Voting for first phase begins Polling booths 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. Security at polling booths Security has been beefed up in these constituencies and adequate arrangements have been made at all polling booths. "Adequate security has been ensured in all polling booths across the constituencies which will go to polls in the first phase. Special arrangements have been made for the specially-abled voters," Choubey said. 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. Key candidates Incumbent Chief Minister Raghubar Das is seeking a second five-year term. The BJP leader has also become the first chief minister of the state to complete a full term in office. The tenure of the current Assembly ends on January 5, 2020. Apart from BJP, Congress, JMM and RJD are the major players in the state Assembly elections. It is to be noted that Congress, JMM and RJD are contesting the polls together. 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. Raghubar Das, is contesting in 12 seats in the first phase while it is supporting Independent candidate Vinod Singh from Hussainabad. 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 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. This is the fourth Assembly election in Jharkhand since the state was carved out in 2000 from Bihar. In 2014, the BJP, which won 43 seats in the 81 members Legislative Assembly, formed the government along with All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU), which had won 5 seats under the leadership of Raghubar Das. 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. (with inputs from PTI)