Jharkhand Assembly election: 46.25% turnout registered till 1 pm in first phase
Voting is also underway for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bye-poll, where Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut.
A turnout of 46.25% was registered till 1 pm on Wednesday in the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly election.
The Gumla district had the highest polling percentage at 52.11%, while Ranchi had the lowest figure at 40.98%.
Voting for 43 seats is underway in the first phase, with 683 candidates in the fray.
Polling began at 7 am and will go till 5 pm in most places. At 950 booths, voting will end at 4 pm, reported PTI.
Among the prominent candidates whose fate will be decided on Wednesday is former Chief Minister Champai Soren, who is contesting on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket from Seraikela against the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Ganesh Mahli.
Champai Soren, formerly a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader, had served as the chief minister for 152 days when party leader Hemant Soren was in jail. Champai Soren resigned from the top post on July 3, and crossed over to the BJP less than two months later on August 30.
Other prominent candidates in the fray on Wednesday are the BJP’s Geeta Kora, the Congress’ Rameshwar Oraon and the Janata Dal (United)’s Saryu Roy.
A total of 15,344 polling stations have been set up for 1.37 crore eligible voters to cast their ballot in the first phase of the elections.
Voting for the second phase of...