The urban voters, particularly in Ranchi, did not show the enthusiasm of their brethren in the suburban and rural pockets in exercising their franchise in the 17 constituencies which went to the polls on Tuesday in the third phase of the Assembly elections.
Till the end of the voting hours, Silli registered maximum turnout of 74.77 per cent followed by Ichagarh, Gomia, Koderma, Barhi, Bermo, Barkattha, Dhanwar, Ramgarh and Simaria. Barkagoan and Mandu were among other rural areas that performed reasonably better than the urban areas of Hazaribagh and Ranchi. However, the two urban constituencies beat their own record of 2009 Assembly elections.
Notably, the third phase was a sort of dampener as it arrested the upward trend exhibited in the last two phases of the election in Jharkhand.
The overall polling percentage of the third phase stopped at 61.35 per cent whereas polling in the first phase was recorded at 63.25 per cent and in the second phase 68 per cent voters had turned out to exercise their franchise.
Among the eight districts that voted for their next representatives, Seraikela topped with 71 per cent polling followed by Koderma (65.47 per cent), Giridih (63.51 per cent), Bokaro (63 per cent), Hazaribagh (61.95 per cent), Ramgarh (61.54 per cent), Chatra (61.42 per cent) and Ranchi (56.03 per cent).
The apathy is accentuated by the fact that the hinterland in some of the districts celebrated the festival of democracy with fervor than relatively safer urban areas. The voters in constituencies like Simaria and parts of Barkagoan defied the Naxals' boycott diktat besides Barkattha which has its own problems of Naxalism. Significantly, with the exception of Ichagarh, no untoward incident was reported from the Naxal-infested constituencies.
Incidentally, the third phase of election is also an acid test for former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi (Dhanwar), former Assembly Speaker CP Singh (Ranchi) and three Ministers in the incumbent Government - Finance Minister Rajendra Prasad Singh (Bermo), Water Resources Minister Annapurna Devi (Koderma) and Drinking Water & Sanitation Minister Jaiprakash Bhai Patel (Mandu).
The fate of a total of 289 candidates was today sealed in the electronic voting machines that will become clear on December 23. As many as eight MlAs are also seeking re-election this time.
Meanwhile, the good turnout has set a mad rush among political parties which have interpreted the polling percentage in their terms and each claimed that the swing will sweep rivals off their feet once the counting of vote begins.
Chairman of the Congress' Campaign Committee Subodh Kant Sahay expressed gratitude to the voters for coming out of their confinement and taking part in electing the next Government for Jharkhand.
In a press communiqué, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha claimed that its candidate will perform well and Chief Minister Hemant Soren will get another term in office.
Incidentally, the BJP and JVM (P) workers were detained by Seraikela-Kharsawn police. A scuffle broke out between BJP workers and JVM (P) cadres in Chandil about six hours before polls resulting in injury to BJP candidate for Ichagarh Sadhu Charan Mahto. One BJP worker sustained bullet injury during the scuffle and is recuperating in hospital.