Jharkhand Assembly Elections: BJP, JMM, Congress in Fray as Voting For Phase 1 Begins Shortly

Ranchi: Jharkhand is all set for polling in 43 out of 81 assembly seats in first phase on Wednesday. electoral fate of 683 candidates, including former chief minister Champai Soren and former MP Geeta Kora, will be locked in ballot boxes. Polling is scheduled to begin at 7 am in 43 assembly constituencies across 15 districts and will continue until 5 pm. However, in 950 booths, voting will end at 4 pm, but people standing in queue at that time will still be able to exercise ir franchise.

JMM-led coalition is seeking to retain power in a tough contest with BJP -led NDA by riding on its welfare schemes, including Maiyan Samman Yojana. saffron party has raised election pitch through an aggressive Hindutva pitch, including infiltration and corruption by current dispensation.

Top BJP leers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Union Home Minister Amit Shah , Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , BJP chief JP Nda, Uttar Presh Chief Minister Yogi ityanath , and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma , held a number of rallies where y attacked JMM-led coalition over corruption and Bangleshi infiltration.

leers from INDI Alliance, including Congress leer Rahul Gandhi , Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and his wife and legislator Kalpana Soren, campaigned, promising welfare schemes and accusing BJP-led Centre of "unleashing" all central ncies, including ED, CBI, and I-T, against opposition.

A total of 1.37 crore voters out of total 2.60 crore are eligible to participate in voting on Wednesday. Of 683 candidates, 609 are men and 73 are women. On or hand, out of 43 seats, 17 are reserved for general category candidates, 20 for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and six for Scheduled Castes (SC).

A total of 15,344 polling stations have been set up for first phase of elections. Of those, 12,716 are located in rural areas, and 2,628 are in urban areas. Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said all preparations for voting have been completed, and polling personnel have reached stations. 

second phase of elections will be held on vember 20 while votes will be counted on vember 23.

In 2019 assembly elections, contest was close, with JMM winning 30 seats and BJP securing 25, down from 37 in 2014. JMM-Congress-RJD alliance won a comfortable majority with 47 seats.

Currently, strength of assembly stands at 74, with JMM-led ruling alliance comprising 44 members -- 26 from JMM, 17 from Congress, and one from RJD.