LIVE: Jharkhand | 64.86% voter turnout; Wayanad sees big drop
Over 1.37 crore voters cast their ballots in Jharkhand, with 6 Cabinet ministers among the 683 candidates
A voter turnout of 64.86 per cent was recorded (till 5 pm) in the 43 assembly constituencies in Jharkhand where polling was held in the first phase on Wednesday.
Lohardaga district topped the list with 73.21 per cent polling while Hazaribag district recorded the lowest at 59.13.
The poll percentage in other districts were Seraikela--Kharsawan (72.19), Gumla (69.01), Simdega (68.66), Khunti (68.36), Garhwa (67.35), Latehar (67.16), West Singhbhum (66.87) , Ramgarh (66.32), East Singhbhum (64.87), Chatra (63.26), Palamu (62.62), Koderma (62), Ranchi (60.49) and Hazaribag (59.13).
Former CM Champai Soren and ex-MP Geeta Kora were among the 683 candidates in fray in the first phase.
1.37 crore voters overall
In all, 1.37 crore voters were eligible to participate in the first phase of voting. A total of 683 candidates — 609 men, 73 women and one third-gender candidate — are competing for 43 seats. These seats are divided into 17 general, 20 scheduled tribe, and 6 scheduled caste constituencies.
Key battles include former Chief Minister Champai Soren, who is contesting on a BJP ticket in Seraikela, facing JMM's Ganesh Mahli.
Geeta Kora, wife of former CM Madhu Koda, is contesting against Congress' Sona Ram Sinku in Jagannathpur.
Veteran Congress leader Rameshwar Oraon is up against AJSU's Shanti Bhagat in Lohardaga, while JD(U)'s Saryu Roy is facing Congress’ Banna Gupta in Jamshedpur (West).
The second phase of voting will take place on November 20, and counting is scheduled for November 23.
In Wayanad, poor turnout
The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, where Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her electoral debut, saw a voter turnout of around 65 per cent during the bypoll on Wednesday.
This was a decline from the close to 74 per cent turnout recorded in the polls held in April, when her brother and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contested from the hill constituency. Read the full report here.
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Live Updates
- 13 Nov 2024 7:58 AM IST
PM Modi to Jharkhand voters: 'Vote with full enthusiasm'
"Today is the first round of voting in the Jharkhand assembly elections. I urge all voters to vote with full enthusiasm in this festival of democracy. On this occasion, my heartiest congratulations to all my young friends who are going to vote for the first time! Remember - first vote, then refreshment!" PM Narendra Modi posted in Hindi on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
