Four seats to go for first phase poll in Jharkhand

Four constituencies located in the Maoist strongholds in Jharkhand go to poll tomorrow in the first phase amid tight security measures.

There are 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand out of which four constituencies -- Palamau (SC), Chatra, Koderma and Lohardaga (ST)-- go to poll tomorrow.

A total of 56,47,736 electorate with 29,98,487 men and 26,49,246 women are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase poll.

Polling for the remaining 10 Lok Sabha seats would be held on April 17 and 24.

With 13 candidates in fray in the Palamau LS seat, a three-cornered contest is on the cards between BJP candidate and former Jharkhand police chief Vishnu Dayal Ram, RJD's Manoj Kumar and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha's Ghuran Ram.

Trinamool Congress makes its debut in the state's Lok Sabha election with former Maoist Baitha contesting as its candidate from Palamau where the Congress has won six times.

Other prominent candidates in the fray are former Union minister and Congress candidate Rameshwar Oraon, sitting BJP MP Sudarshan Bhagat, from Lohardaga (ST) seat, BJP's state unit chief Ravindra Kumar Ray and former Congress MP Tilakdhari Singh.

At least seven choppers will be pressed into service for the first phase election, according to the Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner of Palamau, Kripanand Jha.