Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024: Voting took place on 43 seats in the first phase of the Jharkhand assembly elections on Wednesday. According to the Election Commission, 64.86% of votes were cast till 5 pm. However, there may be a slight increase in the final figure. This voting figure is preliminary and it will be more clear when the final figures come. This phase was special in many ways, especially regarding the increased rate of voting in Naxal-affected areas.
Enthusiasm of women and youth voters
This time, bumper voting took place even in the areas that were Naxal-affected for decades. Tremendous enthusiasm was seen especially among women and young voters. This voting percentage is an indication that people from every section are participating in the elections. In many areas, the percentage of women voters was more than that of men, which is a positive change. Along with this, the public's faith in the election process has also strengthened.
Difference in voting: Bumper voting in Saraikela-Kharsawan
In this phase, the highest voting percentage of 72.19% was recorded in Saraikela-Kharsawan district, while the lowest voting percentage of 59.13% was recorded in Hazaribagh district. This made it clear that the voting percentage was relatively high in some areas, while in some areas a little coldness was seen regarding voting. But still, overall enthusiasm was seen in voting. 77.32% voting was recorded in the Kharsawan seat of the Kolhan division, which was the highest.
Main candidates and important seats
Many prominent faces were in the fray in this phase. These included former Chief Minister Champai Soren, his son Babulal Soren, and six ministers of the state government. Besides, former Chief Minister Arjun Munda's wife Meera Munda, Congress national spokesperson Dr. Ajay Kumar, and former minister Saryu Rai were also in the fray. The impact of voting on these seats can be significant on the upcoming election results.
Security and arrangements for polling stations
15,344 polling stations were set up for the first phase of voting. Out of these, voting time was reduced at 950 polling stations due to security reasons, where voting was conducted only till 4 pm. The Election Commission paid special attention to these centers, as these were very sensitive areas. Despite this, voting took place peacefully and adequate security arrangements were made.
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