Polling parties have left for 38 constituencies across 12 districts in Jharkhand for the second and final phase of Assembly elections, set for Wednesday, 20 November. The teams departed on Tuesday by buses, trains, and smaller vehicles.
Before leaving Ranchi, folk artists performed songs and dances to encourage the polling officials. The officials were given a ceremonial farewell with tilak as a sign of respect for their role in the democratic process.
Key Candidates in the Final Phase
Chief Minister Hemant Soren is contesting from Barhait as a JMM candidate. BJP leader Babulal Marandi, Jharkhand’s first Chief Minister, is running from Dhanwar. Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato is representing JMM from Nala.
Other prominent candidates include Congress’ Deepika Pandey Singh from Mahagama, Irfan Ansari from Jamtara, and AJSU Party’s Sudesh Mahto from Silli.
Security and Voting Arrangements
State Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar confirmed that 14,218 polling stations have been set up for this phase. Polling parties are expected to reach their destinations by Tuesday evening. Vehicles carrying polling officials are tracked in real-time through GPS, with any deviations monitored by a central control room.
For security, 585 companies of central paramilitary forces, 60 companies of Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP), and 30,000 personnel from district forces and home guards are deployed.
Voting will begin at 7 AM on Wednesday. Most polling stations will close at 5 PM, while 31 sensitive booths will close at 4 PM. Special booths include 48 unique booths, 239 managed by women, 22 by disabled personnel, and 26 run by youth. Webcasting will monitor the entire voting process.
This phase covers constituencies in three divisions: Santhal Pargana, North Chotanagpur, and South Chotanagpur. A total of 528 candidates are contesting, and 1.23 crore voters will decide their fate. Mandu in Hazaribagh is the largest constituency by area, while Jharia in Dhanbad is the smallest.
Strong security and detailed preparations ensure a smooth election process.
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