Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: In the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections, 64.86% of voters turned out across 43 constituencies by 5 PM, marking a slight increase from the 63.9% turnout recorded during the 2019 elections, the Election Commission of India reported. Voting commenced at 7 AM and continued until 5 PM, across 15 districts, as Jharkhand’s electorate set out to determine the state’s leadership.
Smooth Voting Process and High Engagement
The Election Commission confirmed that voting was held peacefully across polling stations without any incidents of violence. In a statement, the commission said, “Voting, which commenced at 7 AM today, was held peacefully without any incidents of violence. As per updates until 5 PM, a voter turnout of 64.86% was recorded.” The commission added that this figure may be revised as polling continued at some locations where voters were still in queues before the official poll hours ended.
Second Phase Scheduled for November 20
The elections will continue with the second phase on November 20, covering 38 seats. The results are scheduled to be declared on November 23. This election represents a critical contest between the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led INDIA bloc and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
A Glance at the 2019 Outcome
In the 2019 assembly elections, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) emerged as the largest party, winning 30 out of the 81 seats, with the BJP securing 25 seats. Congress won 16 seats, while the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and All Jharkhand Students Union took three and two seats respectively. The JMM formed the government with support from the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which has again partnered with JMM and Congress in 2024.
Parties in the Fray
In this phase, the JMM is contesting 43 seats, Congress on 30, RJD on six, and Left parties on three seats. For the NDA, BJP is contesting 68 seats, All Jharkhand Students Union on ten, Janata Dal (United) on two, and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) on one seat.
Additional By-elections Held Today
Alongside Jharkhand, by-elections were also conducted for 31 Assembly constituencies across ten states and in Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. The Wayanad by-election notably features Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who entered the electoral fray for the Congress following Rahul Gandhi’s decision to vacate the seat, choosing to retain Raebareli after his dual win in the 2024 general elections.
