LIVE: Jharkhand | 46.25% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

Voting began on Wednesday morning (November 13) in 43 of Jharkhand’s 81 Assembly constituencies in the first phase, for by-elections in 31 Assembly seats across the country, and also for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala.

Over 1.37 crore voters cast their ballots, with six Cabinet ministers among the 683 candidates.

Update: 46.25% voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm in Jharkhand, as per the Election Commission (EC)

In Jharkhand’s first phase of polling, significant contests include Seraikella, where former chief minister Champai Soren is contesting as a BJP candidate for the first time, and Jamshedpur East, where Congress candidate Ajoy Kumar, a former Jamshedpur SP, faces off against BJP's Purnima Das Sahu, the daughter-in-law of former Jharkhand Chief Minister and current Odisha Governor Raghubar Das.

Polling began in Jharkhand around 7 AM across 15 districts and will continue till 5 PM. However, voting in 950 booths will end at 4 pm, though people standing in the queue at that time will be able to exercise their franchise, an official said.

Long queues were seen before a number of booths in the morning.

In the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-poll, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her election debut. The by-election was necessitated after Priyanka's brother and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi vacated the seat. He retained Rae Bareli.

Read our stories on Jharkhand Assembly polls

BJP’s aggression over ‘infiltrators’ undercuts JMM in key tribal hubs

Hemant promises 7 kg of grains in monthly ration if JMM returns

JMM manifesto promises 33% job quota for women

Shah promises panel to identify, evict infiltrators if BJP forms govt