Jharkhand Election 2019 Voting Updates: Polling for Phase 1 shuts; barring sporadic incidents of violence, polling largely peaceful in Naxalism-hit state

Voting largely peaceful Phase 1 barring few incidents

Around 46.83 percent votes were cast till 2 pm on Saturday in the first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections in 13 constituencies, amid sporadic incidents of violence in some districts, officials said.

The voting commenced at 7 am and ended at 3 pm, Election Commission (EC) officials said. A total of 37,83,055 electorate, including 18,01,356 women and five third-gender voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase across six districts.

Additional Director General of Police Murari Lal Meena said Naxalites exploded a bomb near a culvert in the forests of Gumla district, but there was no casualty or damage. "The explosion occurred near the culvert in the forests between Banalat and Biranpur villages under Bishunpur assembly constituency of the district," Meena said.

He, however, said "peaceful" polling is underway in all the 13 constituencies. Palamau Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer​ Shantanu Agrahari said a minor clash broke out between two groups near Kosiyara polling station in Daltonganj assembly constituency.

The agitators broke the window panes of a police vehicle after Congress candidate K N Tripathi allegedly tried to enter the polling booth with arms, he said,  adding, the situation was quickly brought under control. Police has seized a pistol and three cartridges, which were allegedly in Tripathi's possession, Agrahari said.

Counting to take place on 23 December

The rest of the four phases for the 81-member assembly will be held on 7, 12, 16 and 20 December. Counting for all five phases is scheduled on 23 December.

A total of 37,83,055 electorate, including 18,01,356 women and five third-gender voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase across six  districts.

Polling ends in half an hour

Palamau Divisional Commissioner Manoj Kumar Jha said the timing of voting has been fixed between 7 am and 3 pm as several polling stations are in remote areas, and also due to the shorter days in winter.

Voting percentage LATEST Updates

Voter turnout at 46.83% till 1 pm

The overall voter turnout in Jharkhand was recorded at 46.83% till 1 pm, reports ANI. In the first phase of assembly poll, voting is being held on 13 seats out of 81 in the state.

Daltonganj Assembly constituency Voting LIVE updates

Congress candidate brandishes gun during clash with BJP supporters

Amid polling for the first phase in Jharkhand, clashes between BJP and Congress supporters have been reported from Kosiyara village of Chainpur. Congress candidate KN Tripathi accused BJP candidate Alok Chaurasia and his supporters of looting the booths.

As per the reports, Congress candidate KN Tripathi from Daltonganj is seen with a revolver. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has taken cognizance of the incident and sought a report in this regard from the district administration.

Tripathi was allegedly stopped by BJP candidate's supporters from going to polling booths, in Kosiyara village of Palamu.

Bhawanathpur seat has maximum number of contestants in fray

The Bhawanathpur constituency has the maximum of 28 contestants, while Chatra has the lowest with nine.​ Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said a total of 4,892 polling stations have been set up, out of which 1,262 would have webcasting facilities.​

Additional Director General of Police Murari Lal Meena said said a total of 1,097 polling stations in​ Naxal-affected areas were marked as hypersensitive and 461 polling stations as sensitive.

Daltonganj ​ Assembly constituency Voting LIVE updates

Minor clash breaks out near polling staton in Kosiyara 

Palamau Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer​ Shantanu Agrahari said a minor clash broke out between two groups near a polling station at Kosiyara in Daltonganj Assembly constituency.

The agitators broke the window panes of a police vehicle after a candidate allegedly tried to enter the polling booth, he said, adding, the situation was quickly brought under control.

Peaceful polling underway in all 13 Assembly seats

Additional Director General of Police Murari Lal Meena said  peaceful polling is underway in all the 13 constituencies. The EC officials said women and youth were among the early voters in the first of the five-phase elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.

Voting percentage LATEST Updates

27.4 percent voter turnout till 11 am in Assembly polls

An estimated 27.41 percent polling was recorded till 11 am on Saturday in the first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections in 13 constituencies. The voting commenced at 7 am and will end at 3 pm, Election Commission (EC) officials said.

A total of 37,83,055 electorate, including 18,01,356 women and five third-gender voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase across six districts.

At least 18 political leaders switch parties after being denied Assembly poll ticket

At least 18 political leaders with significant clout in their respective constituencies have switched parties after being denied Assembly poll tickets in​ Jharkhand - a record in the state's 19-year history. Putting behind their political ideologies, several leaders including three former state Congress chiefs have switched over to rival camps in the run-up to the polls.

While Pradeep Kumar Balmachu joined the AJSU Party, which nominated him from Ghatshila seat, Sukhdeo Bhagat moved to the BJP and secured a ticket from Lohardaga. Another ex-Congress chief, Sarfaraz Ahmad, is contesting the polls from​ Gandey segment on a JMM ticket.

Former BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore took everyone by surprise when he joined the AJSU Party to contest the polls from Chhatarpur, which he had won in 2014.

-PTI

Backdrop of Naxalism in Jharkhand

Experts believe that apathy of successive governments towards tribals, poor implementation of government schemes, economic inequality, slow implementation of land reforms, non-availability of basic infrastructure like schools and medical facilities have created an environment that contributes to the persistence of Naxalism in Jharkhand.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs' data for 2018-2019, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh together accounted for 71 percent of the total incidents of Naxal violence in the country.

However, in Jharkhand, the ideological movement that emerged out of the ‘Naxalbari movement’ in West Bengal in the late 1960s, is passé. According to Jharkhand-based senior journalist Madhukar Anand, Naxals are now "act as criminals under the garb of an ideology."

Indeed, Naxal activities in the state are more about extortion, collection of levy from mining and road contractors, and crime syndicates under the garb of a fight for the tribals' ‘jal-jungle-zameen’ (water, forest and land).

Latehar Assembly constituency Voting LIVE updates

Voting delayed in Latehar due to technical snag

Within first two hours of polling on Saturday, two seats in Latehar recorded voters’ turnout of 12.89 percent. At Ambawtikar and Ashram school booths in Latehar assembly seat, voting started late after the EVM developed technical snag, reports News18. In Palamu, it was 10.00 percent while Chatra reported voters’ turnout of 11.56 percent in the first two hours.

Latehar Assembly constituency Voting LIVE updates

Prakash Ram to contest for BJP after winning seat in 2005, 2014 for RJD, JVM respectively in Latehar seat

Latehar is a primarily a tribal district with about 45.54 percent of the population belonging to the Scheduled Tribes and over 66 percent of the total population comprises Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Falling in the Red Corridor that covers 18 out of 24 districts in Jharkhand, it is within the geographical boundary of the Chatra Lok Sabha constituency. In 2006, the Centre had named Latehar as one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640) and receives grants under Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme. 

In this upcoming Assembly election, there are 8,467 electors who fall in the 18-19 age group comprising 4,733 males and 3,734 females in the Latehar(SC) Assembly constituency. This year, the BJP has fielded Prakash Ram while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is pitching its hopes on Baidynath Ram.

Bishunpur Assembly constituency Voting LIVE updates

In ST-reserved seat, JMM goes with incumbent MLA against BJP first-timer

The Bishunpur Assembly constituency is currently polling, along with 12 other constituencies, in the first phase of the Jharkhand election today.

The JMM, which is in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, is fielding incumbent MLA Chamra Linda. The BJP is fielding Ashok Oraon, a first-timer on the political scene. The JVM(P) is fielding Mahatma Oraon.

In the 2014 election, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Chamra Linda with 55,851 votes defeated the BJP's Samir Oraon who got 45,008 votes.

9 out of 13 Assembly seats don't vote for same party in consecutive polls 

Lohargada, Daltonganj Assembly constituencies Voting LIVE updates

Development, unemployment top concern among voters

As the first of the five-phase polling began in 13 assembly constituencies in Jharkhand on Saturday, voters in Lohargada and Daltonganj are concerned on the issues of development and unemployment.

Speaking to ANI in Lohargada, a voter Vikas Verma said, "I voted for the party that called for development in the state. I hope that the party will work on the issue of development."

In Daltonganj, Ram Tiwari said, "Development ha not taken place here. There is poverty and unemployment. I voted on these issues. This time I feel a lot of people will come to vote. There is no fear among the voters here."

Shravan Kumar Tiwari said, "I voted on the issue of unemployment. Many youths are losing their jobs so I voted for the party that brings employment."

While Arvind Tiwari was highly critical of the governments in past saying, "There are problems of lack of electricity and water in the region. In the past 30 years, no government did the task of providing fulltime electricity and water. There is unemployment as well so I voted on these issues."

Bishnupur Assembly constituency voting LIVE updates

Naxals blow up bridge in Gumla district 

According to ANI reports, Naxals have reportedly blown up a bridge in Bishnupur in Gumla district, though no injuries were reported. Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan said voting has not been affected and will continue normally. 

BJP highlights security crackdwon, road construction in campaign

Amit Shah appeals to voters to vote in large numbers to keep state 'on the path of development' 

Union home minister Amit Shah in a tweet said, "A stable and a majority government is required to keep Jharkhand on the track of development free from corruption and naxalism. I appeal all the voters of the first phase to vote in large numbers and keep Jharkhand on the path of development."

JMM, Congress, RJD in alliance up against BJP

The BJP is contesting against the opposition alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, while the Congress is contesting in six seats in the first phase, the JMM is fighting in four and the RJD in three constituencies in the first phase.

Naxalism will have political impact: ex-IPS office Ajoy Kumar

Ajoy Kumar, an ex-IPS officer and a member of the Aam Aadmi Party, told Firstpost, “Naxalism will have a political impact in some parts of the state. This problem can’t just be solved through a carrot-and-stick policy. The BJP heads the government both at the Centre and in the state, and it bears some responsibility for the absence of government services from large parts of the state. In many rural areas, there are no schools or hospitals, and this leads to anger among people.”

1,202 polling booths out of 4,892 marked as 'sensitive' 

Out of 4,892 polling booths in Jharkhand, 1,202 have been identified as ‘sensitive’ and 1,790 booths have termed as ‘highly sensitive’ ones with reference to left-wing extremism (LWE).

“Four out of every five Assembly constituencies in Jharkhand are affected by LWE. Out of 24 districts of Jharkhand, 19 districts with 67 Assembly seats are affected by LWE. Of these 19 districts, the situation in 13 districts is particularly bad,” Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said while announcing the dates of polling in Jharkhand.

IAF chopper drops polling personnel in Chhattisgarh

CM Raghubar Das makes appeal for voters to turn up in large numbers

Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das on Saturday morning made an appeal for voters to turn up to the polling booths in large numbers in the first phase, out of the five-phased state Assembly elections. "Your one vote is important for the development of the state," he added. 

Main parties in fray include BJP, Congress, JMM

The BJP, which is seeking a second straight win under the leadership of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, is contesting in 12 seats in the first phase while it is supporting Independent candidate Vinod Singh from Hussainabad.

The AJSU party is contesting on its own.

Challenging the BJP is the opposition alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

While the Congress is contesting in six seats in the first phase, the JMM is fighting in four and the RJD in three constituencies in the first phase.

The other parties contesting the elections are Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Janata Dal (United) and the Left parties.

Key candidates include state health minister, Congress president

Key candidates in the fray are Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee and state Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi from Bishrampur and state Congress president Rameshwar Oraon from Lohardaga seat.

Oraon is taking on the former state Congress chief Sukhdeo Bhagat after the latter joined the BJP recently. Former BJP chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore, who was denied ticket from Chhatarpur, is contesting on an All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) party ticket from the same seat.

13 Assembly seats in fray today

A total of 37,83,055 voters — including 18,01,356 women and five third gender voters — of Chatra (SC), Gumla (ST), Bishunpur (ST), Lohardaga (ST), Manika (SC), Latehar (SC), Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur (SC), Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur constituencies will decide the fate of 189 candidates in the first phase.

The rest of the four phases for the 81-member assembly will be held on December 7, 12, 16 and 20. Counting is scheduled on 23 December. 

First phase to begin voting from 7 am

The five-phase Assembly elections for Jharkhand will begin today (30 November 2019, Saturday) with 13 seats in the state going to polls today. The polling will begin at 7 am and conclude at 3 pm