Second Phase Of Jharkhand Polls Kicks Off Across 12 Districts

Polling commenced early Wednesday morning for the second and final phase of Jharkhand’s Assembly Elections, spanning 38 constituencies across 12 districts.

Voters turned up at the 14,218 polling stations established for this phase, which includes 2,414 urban and 11,804 rural booths.

To ensure a secure and fair election, extensive security measures have been deployed.

This includes 585 companies of central paramilitary forces, 60 units of Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP), and approximately 30,000 personnel from district forces and home guards.

While most polling booths will operate until 5 PM, voting at 31 high-sensitivity stations will conclude at 4 PM.

Enhanced surveillance measures, such as webcasting and on-site cameras, are in place across all polling stations.

This phase encompasses constituencies from three division:

• Santhal Pargana (18 seats),
• North Chotanagpur (18 seats), and
• South Chotanagpur (2 seats)

Among the 38 seats, eight are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, three for Scheduled Castes, and the remaining 27 are general category seats.

A total of 528 candidates are competing, with over 1.23 crore voters set to decide their fate.

The constituencies however vary widely in size and demographics. Mandu in Hazaribagh is the largest constituency by area, while Jharia in Dhanbad is the smallest.

Bokaro leads in voter count with 5.82 lakh registered voters, while Littipara in Santhal Pargana has the lowest voter count at 2.17 lakh.

Prominent figures in this phase include:

• Chief Minister Hemant Soren contesting from Barhait,
• BJP state president Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar, and
• Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato from Nala

Additionally, the other notable candidates include:

• Deepika Pandey Singh (Congress) from Mahagama,
• Irfan Ansari (Congress) from Jamtara, and
• AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto contesting from Silli

Barhait is particularly under the spotlight as Hemant Soren seeks to retain his stronghold, a seat his party, JMM, has controlled since 1990.

The high-stakes campaign, lasting 35 days, saw over 500 rallies by political heavyweights.

Key issues discussed revolved around livelihood, tribal identity, and welfare policies, which resonate deeply with Jharkhand’s electorate.

As the curtains fall on the voting process today, all eyes turn to 23 November, when the results will reveal the political future of the state.

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