Polling begins for second phase of Jharkhand elections

Amid a poll boycott call by the Maoists, voting began for the second phase of Jharkhand elections this morning for 14 seats mostly situated in Naxal-hit areas.
 
Adequate security arrangements that includes air surveillance have been made for peaceful polling, Inspector General of Police VH Deshmukh said.
       
Altogether 30,96,854 people are eligible to vote in Kodarma, Barhi, Mandu, Ramgarh, Gandey, Giridih, Dumri, Gomia, Tamar, Silli, Khijri, Mandar, Khunti and Pakur. Except Pakur, all other seats have Maoist presence.
       
Former ministers Bandhu Tirkey (Independent, Mandar), Chandraprakash Choudhary (Ajsu Party, Ramgarh) and Sudesh Mahato (Ajsu Party, Silli) are prominent among the 259 candidates whose electoral fate would be decided in this phase.
        
Polling for Barkatha constituency had been originally scheduled for today, but it was tagged with the fifth phase polling on December 18 after it was postponed following the death of the BJP candidate.
 
Jharkhand assembly polls are being held in five phases.