Jharkhand: 63.44% votes cast in 2nd phase, one dead

 Jharkhand recorded 63.44 per cent vote, five per cent lowest than in 2014, in 20 Assembly seats amid few incidents of violence in which one person was killed in the second phase of the Assembly election on Saturday.

According to the Election Commission, the highest 74.44 per cent polling was recorded in the Bharagora Assembly seat and the lowest 47.42 per cent in Jamshedpur West. The voting percentage in Jamshedpur East -- Chief Minister Raghubar Das's seat -- was 50.67 per cent.

In 2014 Assembly polls, 68.01 per cent and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections 67.97 per cent votes were cast.

The polling started at 7 a.m. and concluded at 3 p.m. in 18 Assembly seats. The voting in Jamshedpur East and West seats concluded at 5 p.m.

One person was killed in firing and six, including three policemen, were injured in the Sisai constituency of the Gumla district. The polling was cancelled at booth number 36 after the firing.

The Election Commission has sought report from the Gumla district administration.

Maoists set ablaze a polling bus in the West Singhbhum district.

According to the police sources, over 40,000 security personnel were deployed for the second phase of voting, which was largely in the Maoist-infested areas. Of the 20 seats, 16 are reserved for the Schedule Tribe (ST) and one for the Schedule Caste (SC).

In the Jamshedpur East, Chief Minister Das is contesting against his former cabinet colleague Saryu Rai and Congress spokesperson Gaurabh Vallabh.

Also in the fray are Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon, Urban Development Minister Neelkanth Singh Munda, Water Resources Minister Ramchandra Sahis, former cabinet minister Saryu Rai and state BJP President Laxman Giluwa.

Jailed Maoist commander Kunadan Pahan is contesting the Tamar Assembly seat. Kundan Pahan is locked in a triangular fight with AJSU candidate Vikas Munda and former jailed Minister Gopal Krishna alias Raja Peter.  IANS