Jharkhand Elections: First phase of voting ends with 62.8% voter turnout
Voting is taking place across 3,906 polling stations, out of which 989 have webcasting facilities.
Polling for the first phase of Jharkhand assembly election for 13 seats began on Saturday morning.
A total of 189 candidates, including 174 male and 15 females, are in the fray in the first phase.
Voting took place across 3,906 polling stations, out of which 989 have webcasting facilities.
Polling began at 7 am and concluded at 3 pm.
Assembly elections in Jharkhand are being held in five phases, beginning from November 30, and the counting of votes will take place on December 23. The five-phase polling in Jharkhand will be held on November 30, December 7, December 12, December 16 and December 20.
Here are the live updates for the first phase of voting:
Voting concludes in the first phase of elections. Voter turnout stands at 62.8%.
Voter turnout at 48.83% in the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly polls till 1 pm.
People cast their votes at a polling booth in Lohardaga.
Congress candidate KN Tripathi brandishes a gun during clash between supporters of BJP candidate Alok Chaurasia & Tripathi's supporters. Tripathi was allegedly stopped by BJP candidate's supporters from going to polling booths, in Kosiyara village of Palamu.
Naxals blow up a bridge in Bishunpur in Jharkhand's Gumla district, ANI reports. No injuries, voting not affected, says Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan.
Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das appeals voters to come out in large numbers
Voting on 13 constituencies in for the first phase of Jharkhand elections underway: Visuals from Chatra
First phase of polling in 13 Assembly constituencies of Jharkhand underway
Thirteen assembly constituencies - Chatra (SC), Gumla (ST), Bishunpur (ST), Lohardaga (ST), Manika (SC), Latehar (SC), Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur (SC), Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur - will go to polls in the first of the five-phase elections.
A total of 37,83,055 voters, including 19,81,694 men and 18,01,356 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of polling on Saturday.
Jharkhand Health Minister and BJP candidate Ramchandra Chandravanshi, and Jharkhand PCC president Rameshwar Oraon are among notable candidates in the first phase.
The ruling BJP is contesting in 12 seats, while it is backing Independent Vinod Singh from Hussainabad.
The BJP, which completed five years in power with Raghubar Das becoming the first chief minister of the state to serve for a full term, is going alone in the assembly election after its alliances with All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU) broke down.
AJSU Party has put up candidates in three seats in the first phase.
The JMM, the Congress and the RJD are contesting the election together and have declared JMM leader Hemant Soren as their CM candidate. The JMM, the Congress and the RJD have fielded four, six and three constituencies, respectively.