Jharkhand is voting for the fifth and final phase today with 16 seats up for grabs in this round. Over 40 lakh people will cast their votes today as polling began at 7 am.
Polling will end at 3 pm in Borio, Barhait, Litipara, Maheshpur and Sikaripara districts and voting will continue till 5 pm in the rest of the constituencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet in Hindi, today urged voters to turn out in record numbers to vote in the final phase of the elections.
Among the heavyweights contesting the polls today is Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who has stoked a huge controversy after he alleged that people wearing "saffron robes" were robbing honour of women. The BJP has hit back with a complaint to the Election Commission.
Mr Soren, the chief ministerial candidate of the opposition JMM-Congress-RJD alliance is contesting from two seats, Dumka and Barhait. His main opponent is Simon Malto of the BJP.
Over 40 lakh, including 19.55 lakh women, are eligible to choose from 237 candidates, including 29 women nominees, across the 16 seats, the Election Commission said.
A voter turnout of 28.2 per cent was recorded till 11 am.
Central and state forces are in place in 1,347 polling stations as a part of measures to conduct smooth elections.
In this round of elections, the Election Commission has set up 8,987 ballot units, 6,738 control units and 7,006 VVPAT machines, Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said.
The seats going for the final leg voting are Rajmahal, Borio, Barhait, Litipara, Pakur, Maheshpur, Sikaripara, Nalla, Jamtara, Dumka, Jama, Jarmundi, Sarath, Poreyahat, Godda and Mahagama across six districts in the Santhal Pargana region of the state.
Elections have been held in 65 out of total 81 assembly constituencies in the last four phases between November 30 and December 16.
Counting of votes will take place on December 23.
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