Jharkhand Assembly Election 2019: Phase-1 Polling Concludes With 63% Turnout; Minor Clashes Reported

The highest polling has been witnessed at Bhavanathpur Assembly seat with 30.38 and lowest at Lohardagga with 21.27 per cent. Polling began at 7 a.m. for 13 seats of Jharkhand Assembly polls, said officials.

In the first phase, polling took place in Maoist affected area amid heavy security arrangements. (Image: Twitter/ CEO Jharkhand Election)

Jharkhand Assembly Election 2019: The first phase of polling in Jharkhand concluded at 3 pm with an estimated voter turnout of 62.87 per cent as thirteen constituencies in six districts of the state went to the polls on Saturday morning. Polling began at 7 a.m. for 13 seats of Jharkhand Assembly polls and ended at 3 pm, said officials. In the first phase, polling took place in Maoist affected area amid heavy security arrangements. According to officials, the percentage is likely to increase as voters who entered the polling stations by 3 pm will be allowed to exercise their franchise. The Election Commission officials said women and youth were among the early voters in the first of the five-phase elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly. 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. Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers clashed at the Koshiyara polling station in Daltonganj Assembly constituency on Saturday during the first phase of voting in the Jharkhand Assembly elections on Saturday. Minor clashes have been reported between the BJP and the Congress at Daltanganj assembly seat. Congress candidate KN TRiptahy waved his revolver in the air after he was stopped to enter into a polling booth. The election commission has sought a report and cancelled the license. According to news agency IANS, it was alleged that Congress candidate K. N. Tripathi's convoy was pelted stones by supporters of BJP candidate Alok Chaurasia following which Tripathi take out his pistol. Chaurasia's supporters became furious at this and drove him away from the spot. They pelted stones on the convoy. During the attack, Tripathi's bodyguards somehow managed to save him from the mob. Congress candidate brandishes gun as party workers clash in Palamu | WATCH VIDEO:

#WATCH Jharkhand: Congress candidate KN Tripathi brandishes a gun during clash between supporters of BJP candidate Alok Chaurasia & Tripathi's supporters. Tripathi was allegedly stopped by BJP candidate's supporters from going to polling booths, in Kosiyara village of Palamu. pic.twitter.com/Ziu8eCq42z

— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2019

A brisk polling was registered during the initial hours in the first phase of the five-phase election to the Jharkhand Assembly. In the first four hours, poll panel officials said 27.41 per cent polling was completed, said an official of election commission. The highest polling has been witnessed at Bhavanathpur Assembly seat with 30.38 and lowest at Lohardagga with 21.27 per cent. Polling began at 7 a.m. for 13 seats of Jharkhand Assembly polls, said officials.

चतरा: जिले के मतदाताओं द्वारा मतदान करने के पश्चात सेल्फी एवं तस्वीरें लेकर आने वाले चरणों में मतदाताओं को मताधिकार का प्रयोग करने के लिए प्रेरित किया जा रहा है।#JharkhandKaVoteParv #CEOJharkhand #SVEEPJharkhand pic.twitter.com/spN8tRgSI1

— CEO Jharkhand Election (@ceojharkhand) November 30, 2019

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. In the first phase, polling took taking place in Maoist affected area amid heavy security arrangements. The 13 seats included Chatra (SC) Gumla (ST) Bishunpur (ST) Lohardaga (ST) Manika (ST) Latehar (SC) Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chattarpur (SC) Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawnathpur. The total number of eligible voters are 37,78,963, which include 19,79,991 male, 17,98,966 women voters and five from the third gender. A total of 189 candidates are in the race, including 15 women out of which a maximum of 28 candidates were in Bhawnathpur Seat and a minimum of nine were fighting from the Chatra seat. According to election commission official there are 4,892 booths out of which 4,585 are location in rural areas and another 307 in urban areas. Women voters turn out in large number in Jharkhand's Chhatarpur | WATCH VIDEO In the first phase voting, webcasting facility was provided at 1,262 booths while the number of 'Sakhi Booths' are 121 and model polling booths 417. This time polling booths were divided into Maoist and non-Maoist areas on the basis of which 1,097 polling stations are hyper sensitive and 461 are sensitive. Heavy security arrangements were made for peaceful polling. Helicopters were being used for airlifting and dropping of the poll officials in difficult terrain and Maoist hit areas. The important candidates, whose fates were decided in first phase polling, include Jharkhand Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, Congress state chief Rameshwar Oraon and former Minister and BJP candidate Bhanu PRatap Shahi.

पलामू में वोटिंग शुरू। 405 बूथों पर वेबकास्टिंग के जरिये रखी जा रही है नजर। जिला निर्वाचन पदाधिकारी @shantanu00 खुद पहुंचे वेबकास्टिंग कंट्रोल रूम, किया निरीक्षण तथा दिए आवश्यक निर्देश।@ceojharkhand@ECISVEEP#PollPalamau #JharhandKaVoteParv #JharkhandAssemblyPolls pic.twitter.com/kzd4gJfnnu

— DEO-cum-DC Palamu (@DC_Palamu) November 30, 2019

BJP is fighting on 12 seats and supporting Independent on one seat. The Jharkahnd Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, RJD fighting poll in alliance have fielded candidates on four, six three seats respectively. On nine seats the fight is directly between BJP and JMM, Congress and RJD alliance. The fight is triangular on three seats -- one being Lohardagga, where the fight is between Congress state president Rameshwar Oraon, former state Congress president sitting legislator and now BJP candidate Sukhdeo Bhagat and All Jharkhand Students Union candidate Niru Bhagat. For the Hussainabad Assembly seat the fight is four-cornered. Here former Minister and NCP candidate Kamlesh is drawing attention of the voters. He was minister in the Madhu Koda Cabinet and went to jail in different scam cases. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Raghubar Das has appealed to voters to vote in large number. (With inputs from agencies)