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Polling in the first phase of elections to 43 assembly seats in Jharkhand remained peaceful, with over 66.18 percent of 1.37 crore voters exercising their franchise on Wednesday, officials said.
Despite almost half of the 15,334 booths, where polling took place, being in the critical category, no Maoist violence was reported barring one of two incidents in which Maoists tried to prevent voters from reaching booths in West Singhbhum district but the attempts were thwarted by the police and administration, they said.
"Approximately 66.18 percent voter turnout was recorded as per data calculated till 9.50 pm, with Lohardaga district topping the list with 73.21 percent polling and Hazaribag district recording the lowest at 62.78 percent," a poll official said.
The overall polling percentage in the state surpassed 63.9 percent recorded in the 2019 assembly polls, according to the Election Commission.
With this, the fate of 683 candidates, including former Congress MP Geeta Kora and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji among 73 women nominees, in fray in the first phase has been sealed.
Barring Lohardaga and Hazaribag, the poll percentage in other districts were Seraikela-Kharsawan (76.02), Gumla (69.01), Simdega (68.74), Khunti (68.36), Garhwa (68.42), Latehar (67.16), West Singhbhum (66.87), Ramgarh (66.32), East Singhbhum (67.10), Chatra (64), Palamu (62.97), Koderma (62.15) and Ranchi (62.56).
West Singhbhum, one of the most Maoist-affected districts in the state saw an increase in voting.
West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary told PTI, "Polling was peaceful and overall turnout increased in all five constituencies -- Chaibasa, Majhgaon, Jagannathpur, Manoharpur and Chakradharpur -- to 69.96 percent, 70.80 percent, 69.84 percent, 64.03 percent and 68.61 percent, respectively, from 66.49 percent, 68.03 percent, 65.02 percent, 61.19 percent and 65.80 percent, respectively, in 2019."
Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said, "The election process was peaceful and remained free of incidents. Voting in urban areas was not as per expectations while in rural areas the turnout has increased."
IG (Operations) Amol V Homkar said polling was peaceful despite 7,851 booths being in the critical category, and 2,249 in the extreme critical category, out of a total of 15,334 booths.
A total of 600 companies of central armed forces, 60 companies of Jharkhand Armed Police, 15,291 personnel of state armed forces and 14,000 homeguards were deputed in view of sensitivity and Naxal menace, he said, adding that monitoring was being done through flying squads besides special communication system was established for 286 booths where communication was a challenge.
A total of 683 candidates -- 609 men, 73 women and one of the third -- are trying their luck in the 43 seats. These seats are divided into 17 general, 20 reserved for Scheduled Tribes, and six for Scheduled Castes.
Former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Champai Soren is pitted against JMM rival Ganesh Mahali in Seraikela seat, while the ex-CM's son Babulal Soren is contesting from Ghatsila against JMM candidate and Jharkhand cabinet minister Ram Das Soren.
Former CM Madhu Koda's wife and ex-MP Geeta Kora is trying her luck from Jagannathpur on a BJP ticket against sitting Congress MLA Sona Ram Sinku. In Potka, former Union minister and ex-CM Arjun Munda's wife Meera Munda is contesting against sitting Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Sanjib Sardar.
Congress leader Rameshwar Oraon is up against All Jharkhand Students Union's Shanti Bhagat in Lohardaga and Janata Dal-United's Saryu Roy is facing Congress's Banna Gupta in Jamshedpur West.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed two rallies in the state during the day, attacked the Congress, a constituent of Jharkhand's ruling coalition, accusing its "shehzada" of conspiring to scrap reservations for people belonging to SC, ST and OBC communities in an attempt to "weaken" them.
He also alleged that the ruling JMM-led alliance "helped infiltrators become permanent citizens" of the state.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, on the other side, accused the BJP of maligning his and the state's image through "shadow campaigns", an allegation that the saffron camp dismissed, claiming the JMM leader had already "conceded defeat" in the assembly polls.
Soren alleged that the saffron camp has been "spending crores of money on various social media platforms" and "created 95,000 WhatsApp groups" to campaign against the JMM-led coalition in the state.
At various booths prominent persons cast their votes including Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and former team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Besides, during the day, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, former chief minister Champai Soren and JD(U) candidate from Jamshedpur West seat and Saryu Roy, were among those who cast their votes in the first phase of assembly elections.
While the JMM-led coalition is seeking to retain power riding on its welfare schemes, including Maiyan Samman Yojna, the BJP has been campaigning with its aggressive Hindutva agenda, infiltration and alleged corruption by the current dispensation.
The second phase of voting will take place on November 20, and counting is scheduled for November 23.
In the 2019 elections, the JMM secured 30 seats, the BJP won 25, and the JMM-led alliance with Congress and RJD won a majority with 47 seats. The current assembly consists of 74 members, with the JMM-led coalition holding 26 seats, Congress 17, and Rashtriya Janata Dal one.