Twelve states will cast their ballots in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 24. In all, 117 constituencies will be going to polls on that day. It will also be the third and the final phase of polls in Jharkhand. The first two phases were held on April 10 and April 17. The turnout in the first phase of elections in Jharkhand was 58.03% while it was 63.45% in phase two.
Four constituencies of Jharkhand- Rajmahal, Dumka, Godda, Dhanbad- will exercise their franchise on April 24. The major political parties in the poll fray are Bhariya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha- Prajatantrik (JVM-P) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
One of the most crucial issues that Jharkhand faces is the Maoism menace. Before the commencement of Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand, Maoists threatened the citizens to boycott polls. The red rebels wrote on the walls of schools and other polling centres urging people not to come out of their homes to vote on polling day. The maoist threat loomed large over the Jharkhand Police, CRPF, and the common masses but despite this, the first phase of polls completed with a turnout of 58.03% amid tight security.
The second phase of the elections were held following several such attacks by the maoists. In an effort to disrupt the elections, the maoists planted 20 kilograms of cane bombs in Bokaro district, which were defused by the Police. On April 16, a day before the polls, the Maoist guerillas blew up a bridge in the Giridih district of Jharkhand, which went to polls on April 17. Security was tightened in the six constituencies where polling took place, as the maoist guerillas have a significant presence in these places. Violence was also reported on the polling day in Bokaro district, where four CRPF jawans were injured after the red rebels attacked security forces at two places. They also blasted a railway track and a school building in the same district. However, 63.45% of the electorate ignored the poll-boycott calls by the and cast their votes.
In the final phase of the polls in Jharkhand, Dumka is one of the important constituencies. Popular leaders like Shibu Soren from JMM, Babulal Marandi from JVM, Babulal Soren (TMC) and Sehdev Soren (AAP) are contesting from this constituency reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.
Key candidates from Rajmahal constituency:
| BSP |
Arun Marandi |
| BJP |
Hemlal Murmu |
| CPM |
Jyotin Soren |
| JMM |
Vijay Kumar Hansdak |
| JVM(P) |
Dr. Anil Murmu |
Key candidates from Godda constituency:
| BSP |
Manraj |
| AITC |
Damodar Singh |
| AAP |
Jai Shankar Jha |
| BJP |
Nishikant Dubey |
| INC |
Furkan Ansari |
Key candidates from Dhanbad constituency:
| BSP |
Madan Mohan Ram |
| AITC |
Chandra Shekhar Dubey |
| AAP |
Rama Kant Verma |
| BJP |
Pashupati Nath Singh |
| INC |
Ajay Kumar Dubey |
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