Voters turn out to vote at Naxal affected area of Kuchai block under Seraikela Kharsawan district in Jharkhand today. Photo source: ECI
Ranchi/New Delhi: Braving the boycott posters and threat calls by left-wing extremists, voters turned out to cast their votes in the Manoharpur and Jaganathpur Assembly constituencies of West Singhbhum district. At polling stations in Sonapi in Jaganathpur Assembly Constituency and Rabangada in Manoharpur Assembly Constituency, security forces thwarted attempts to prevent voters from voting through boycott papers and blockades on the way.
Voting which commenced at 7 am today was held peacefully without any incidents of violence in Jharkhand, the Election Commission stated. Polling was marked by a festive mood and enthusiastic participation across all districts with large tribal populations, including areas affected by left-wing extremism. Voters from diverse groups including first-time voters, the elderly, women, Persons with Disabilities, and tribals among others, were seen exercising their franchise at polling stations across the 15 districts that went to polls today, undeterred by threats and boycott calls.
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In the Budha Pahad area in Garhwa district, once considered a stronghold of extremists, long queues and peaceful polling at Hesatu Polling station signalled the deep penetration of democratic ethos. For the first time, this polling station was set up in the Budha Pahad area during the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, allowing residents to vote in their own village.
Overall, polling for 43 Assembly constituencies in phase I of the Jharkhand Assembly elections concluded peacefully today with an impressive turnout of voters. By 5 pm, the voter turnout was 64.86% which surpassed the 63.9% voting in these 43 Assembly constituencies in the 2019 Assembly elections in the state. Polling was still going on in certain polling stations where voters were waiting in queue before the culmination of poll hours. The second and final phase of voting will be held in the state on November 20, 2024, and the counting of votes will be on November 23, 2024.
Simultaneously, bye-polls were also held today in 31 Assembly Constituencies in 10 states and the Wayanad Parliamentary constituency of Kerala from whether the Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Wadra is contesting. Two Assembly constituencies in Sikkim were uncontested.
The Election Commission said the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu constantly monitored the situation across over 15,000 polling stations.
“Meticulous planning and constant vigil by the Commission have ensured that the Jharkhand elections this time have been smooth and streamlined, with no repolls recorded so far. Webcasting was in place in 100% polling stations to ensure transparency of the voting process,” the Election Commission stated in New Delhi.
– global bihari bureau
