Jangannthpur:
Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda's wife Geeta Koda, who iscontesting from Jagannathpur, says her husbands arrest will not have anegative impact on voters.
Koda is accused in a Rs 4000 crore money laundering scam.
The fifth phase of Jharkhand assembly polls is taking place amid tight security on Friday.
Violence has been reported in the state as polling got underway in themorning. A school has been blown up and two policemen are reportedlykilled.
There were also reports saying suspected Maoists exploded a landmine, injuring a policeman at Mahur.
Amid webcam observation of eight booths by the Election Commission,voting for the fifth and final phase of polling for 16 Assembly seats,most of them Maoist infested, began in at 7 am.
(Read: Heavyweights in fifth phase)
"Theofficials of the EC in New Delhi and state EC in Ranchi are watchingthe polling through webcams in eight booths -- one each in Chaibasa,Sareikela, Garhwa, Chatra, Latehar, Barkatha and two in Palamau," aspokesman at the EC said here.
(Read: Key constituencies)Besidestight security arrangements, a total of 126 video and 378 digital stillcameras are also being used to oversee the polling.
(Read: Major issues)Theconstituencies going for polls are Chatra, Latehar, Simaria, Panki,Bishrampur, Hussainabad, Chhatarpur, Garhwa, Bhawnathpur, Manika,Chaibasa, Barkatha, Jagannathpur, Sareikella, Kharsawan and Daltonganj.
(Read: Successful candidates in 2005)Atotal of 33,96,472 electorate are eligible to decide the fate of 290candidates contesting from the seats. Bhawnathpur has a maximum of 25candidates while Chatra with 10 contestants has the lowest number.
(Read: Party positions in 2005)
Polling for 65 seats of the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly has already been completed in the previous four phases.
Voting would end at 3 pm and results for all the seats will be out on December 23.