Stage Set For Final Phase Of Jharkhand Assembly Elections

Ranchi: Jharkhand is geared up for polling in 38 of total 81 assembly seats in second and final phase on Wednesday, when electoral fate of 528 candidates, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren both (both JMM) and Leer of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri (BJP) will be decided.

ruling JMM-led INDIA bloc and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance are engaged in a fierce battle in elections in state, first phase of which was held on November 13.

Polling is scheduled to begin at 7 am in 14,218 polling stations and will continue till 5 pm barring 31 booths where it will end at 4 pm. A total of 1.23 crore voters including 60.79 lakh women and 147 third gender voters are eligible to vote on Wednesday. Altoger 528 candidates - 472 men, 55 women and a third gender person - are in fray.

JMM-led coalition is seeking to retain power riding on its welfare schemes, while saffron party has raised election pitch raising issues of Hindutva, “infiltration from Banglesh and corruption” of current dispensation.

Eighteen of 38 constituencies are in Santhal Pargana region comprising six districts - Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara, Sahibganj and Pakur. NDA has been alleging during electioneering that large-scale infiltration took place in Santhal Pargana during past five years of JMM-led regime.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar said all preparations for voting have been completed and polling personnel for all booths have been despatched peacefully.

Since implementation of Model Code of Conduct, about Rs 200 crore worth of illegal materials and cash have been seized, which is highest in recent past.

Kumar said that 90 cases pertaining to violation of model code of conduct (MCC) violation were recorded.

Out of 38 seats, eight are reserved for scheduled tribes and three for scheduled castes.

Of total 14,218 polling stations, responsibility of entire voting process at 239 polling stations will be in hands of women while 22 booths will be manned by persons with disabilities (PwDs), CEO said.

Besides CM Soren and his wife, prominent among candidates include state BJP president and ex-CM Babulal Marandi, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto (JMM) and BJP ally AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto.

Top BJP leers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP present JP Nda and chief ministers of several states dressed a number of rallies where y attacked JMM-led coalition over corruption and infiltration.

INDIA bloc leers including Congress leer Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and his wife and legislator Kalpana Soren campaigned extensively, promising welfare schemes and accusing BJP-led Centre of "unleashing" ED and CBI against rival parties.

re are 28 reserved seats for ST candidates and nine for SC contestants.

Of SC seats, JMM won 2, BJP 6 and RJD 1 in 2019 polls. In ST reserved seats, JMM was victorious in 19, Congress in 6, BJP 2 and JVM(P) 1.

This time, as far as NDA is concerned, BJP has fielded candidates in 68 seats while allies AJSU Party in 10, JD(U) in two and Lok Janshakti (Ram Vilas) in one.

Of INDIA bloc, JMM has fielded candidates in 43 seats, Congress 30, RJD 6 and CPI(ML) 4 with friendly fights on some seats.

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.