Jharkhand polls: Counting to take place on Monday

The counting of votes for 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats, which went to polls in five phases from November 30 to December 20, will take place on Monday.

The counting will start at 8 a.m. in all the 24 district headquarters. The maximum rounds of counting will take place at Chatra with 28 rounds and lowest round at two seats -- Chandankyari and Torpa.

The Election Commission has made arrangements for counting at all the districts headquarters. The first result is expected around 1 p.m. on Monday.

Both BJP and Congress alliance made their best efforts to lure the voters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed nine rallies each.

While former Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressed five rallies and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addressed one rally.

The hot seat, which will be the centre of attraction on the counting day will be Jamshedpur East. Chief Minister Raghubar Das has been winning this seat since 1995. He is pitted against ex-cabinet colleague Saryu Rai. Saryu Rai turned rebellion after his ticket was put on hold by the party.

The other important seats are Dumka and Barhet from where JMM Executive President and former Chief Minister is contesting. He is pitted against Social Welfare Minister Louis Marandi at Dumka.

Former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajantarik (JVM-P) President Babulal Marandi is fighting from Dhanwar Assembly seat. The AJSU President, who lost the 2014 Assembly poll, is trying his luck again from Silli seat.

The exit polls indicate edge to JMM and Congress alliance.

BJP, however, is confident of returning to power.

"We will cross the majority mark. Wait till counting. People has reposed faith in five years governance" said Deepak Prakash, BJP General Secretary to IANS.

JMM is anticipating the grand alliance's victory.

"The grand alliance will certainly get majority. People are fed up with BJP government" said Vinod Pandey, JMM General Secretary.IANS