Amid unprecedented security arrangements, Jharkhand is set to hold elections for 13 out of 81 seats spread across the Naxal-hit districts of Chatra, Palamu, Garhwa, lohardaga and Gumla in the first phase on Tuesday to decide the fate of 199 candidates.
With Maoists having given a call for poll boycott in certain pockets, and making their presence felt in Gumla, security is the top priority. Six helicopters have been kept on standby.
The Election Commission has dispatched all the required logistics to all the over 3,900 polling booths of the State falling in 13 constituencies going for the elections. The 13 constituencies going to polls included Garhwa, latehar, Chatra, Gumla, Bishunpur, lohardaga, Manika, Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chattarpur, Hussainabad and Bhawnathpur.
State DGP Rajiv Kumar expressed confidence the election would be incident-free. “We have identified the areas where special attention is required. Adequate security forces have been dispatched to the polling stations and they have already sanitised the localities.”
Altogether 33,61,938 voters that include 15,77,090 females are enrolled to exercise their franchise and to elect their representatives from among 199 candidates in the fray. About 35,425 polling personnel have been deployed to conduct free, fair and peaceful polling at more than 3,900 polling booths.
Appealing to the voters to exercise their franchise in a free and fearless manner, Chief Electoral Officer PK Jajoria said, “The Election Commission has left no stone unturned for the preparedness. We have set certain SOP for all the poll personnel to follow. People should come out and vote in large numbers.”
Candidates in the fray include 18 women and 72 independents besides from all the prominent political parties. The BJP has fielded candidates for 12 of the 13 seats and left lohardaga to its ally AJSU party. While a maximum of 26 candidates are contesting from Daltonganj, Chatra has the lowest number of seven candidates.
The battle has become interesting as well. Political parties despite alliances have fielded their candidates against each other. RJD which is contesting seven seats and is in alliance with the Congress and the JD(U), is engaged in a friendly contest with the JD(U) in Chattarpur and Hussainabad constituencies and also in Manika with the Congress. The Congress has fielded seven candidates out of 13 constituencies.
The Tuesday poll would test the credentials of several defectors who had crossed over one party to another overnight. Sitting Congress MlA from Bhawnathpur Anant Pratap Deo had even joined the BJP despite being given party ticket. Similar is the case with Garhwa MlA Satyendra Nath Tiwari who quit JVM to join the saffron party. litmus test is also for two-time consecutive MlA from Panki and strongman Bidesh Singh. One serving Minister in the Hemant Soren Government and Daltonganj MlA KN Tripathi is also fighting his battle for survival.