The Election Commission is up against the challenge to continue the good show in terms of voting percentage registered during the previous two phases in Jharkhand. The third phase on Tuesday has relatively more urban voters that have often been labeled more as 'drawing room debaters' rather than poll enthusiasts.
The third phase would see urbanised and mining centres of the State such as Ranchi, Hatia, Hazaribagh, Bermo, Ramgarh, Jhumri Tilaiya, Kanke going to vote. Out of a total of 5,865 polling stations, 409 are situated in urban areas with higher density of population.
This is also the phase in which as many as three constituencies, namely, Ranchi, Hatia and Kanke, would see the use of the VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail), meant at present for the urban voters. Voters in these three constituencies would also enjoy extended poll time of two hours. A total of 1,190 booths would see the use of VVPAT.
Chief Electoral Officer P K Jajoria accepts the scenario as a challenge. "We have seen great response from the voters during the first two phases but it is also a fact that voting percentage has been on its lower side in Ranchi on previous occasions. However, it has shown improvements in the lok Sabha polls. The ECI has done sufficiently to encourage voters to come and vote and we hope that this will work," said Jajoria.
The EC has declared 1,477 booths as sensitive and 1,957 as hyper-sensitive. Micro observers and paramilitary forces would be deployed at critical booths where video recording would also take place. Arrangements to webcast polling process from 347 polling stations have also been made whereas 29,310 polling personnel have been deployed to conduct the democratic exercise. Also 17 general observers, seven expenditure observers, two police observers, two awareness observers and 807 micro observers have been appointed.
Talking about security, Additional CEO Himani Pandey said that irrespective of the sensitivity sufficient deployment of security personnel had been made at all the booths. Though, IG (Operations) Ml Meena refused to divulge number of forces pressed into action. "We have sufficient number of choppers and forces deployed and ready to deal with any situation for tomorrow's polls," he said.
The total number of electorates is 5,016,657, highest in all phases, spreading in all the 17 constituencies of eight districts - Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Chatra, Seraikella-Kharsawan, Ramgarh, Koderma and Giridih. Importantly, about 271,365 voters are in the 18-19 age groups.
A senior official informed that 5,862 EVM control units and 9,073 ballot units have been made for the polls which are going to decide the fate of 289 candidates. More than one machine would be used in Ranchi, Hatia, Koderma, Barkagaon, Ramgarh, Mandu, Hazaribagh, Ichagarh and Khijri as there are more than 16 candidates in the arena. Hatia has the highest number of candidates, 29, while in Silli 11 aspirants are contesting the election.
The fortune of some of the who's who of the State politics is in the balance. First Chief Minister and JVM chief Babulal Marandi along with former Speaker CP Singh, Ministers Annapurna Devi and Jaiprakash Bhai Patel, AJSU supremo Sudesh Mahto are among those who would be judged in the court of the common man.
Eight sitting MlAs are seeking re-elections in this phase while 103 Independent candidates, including 26 women are in the total 289. In terms of parties the JMM has fielded most number of candidates, 16, while the JVM (P) has 15, the BJP and the BSP have 14 each. The Congress has given 13 candidates and three each the AJSU party and the RJD.