Second phase elections: Jharkhand polls peaceful, 32 percent voting in first four hours

Polling was going on peacefully and 32.10 per cent of the total 44,31,900 voters exercised their franchise in the first four hours, Election Commission sources said.

Long queues were seen in the Maoist-hit areas, where election is being held amid tight security.

Till 11 AM, Baharagora constituency registered the maximum voter turnout of 44.38 percent followed by Jagannathpur 43 percent, Majhgaon 40 percent and Tamar 29 percent, the sources said.

Barring a defective EVM machine being replaced in Jaganathpur, polling is incident-free, the sources said. Former Chief Minister Madhu Koda and his MLA wife Gita Koda cast their votes in Jaganathpur constituency.

While Koda is contesting from Majhgaon (ST) seat, his wife is fighting from Jaganathpur (ST) constituency.

Another former Chief Minister Arjun Munda and his wife Meera Munda also exercised his franchise from Kharsawan, from where he is contesting for the fifth time.

BJP Vice President and former deputy chief minister Raghuvar Das cast his franchise in Jamshedpur (East), while his BJP colleague and candidate from Jamshedpur (WEST) Saryu Roy also cast his vote.

Tata Steel Managing Director T V Narendra and his wife Ruchi Narendran also voted in Jamshedpur. Besides women, a large number of youths were seen waiting in serpentine queues in the steel city.

Khunti SDO-cum-returning officer Ramesh Gholak said voting was going on peacefully.

A total of 44,31,900 voters, including 21,72,982 women, are eligible to cast their franchise in 5,048 polling stations to elect 223 candidates, including 35 women.

Besides former Chief Ministers Arjun Munda and Madhu Koda, former deputy chief minister Raghubar Das (Jamshedpur East), three state ministers including Agriculture minister Banna Gupta (Jamshedpur-West), HRD minister Geetashree Oraon (Sisai), Industries minister Champai Soren (Seraikella), several sitting and former MLAs are trying their luck.

First phase polling was held in 13 Maoist-affected seats of the state on November 25 last which witnessed a turnout of 62 percent.

Source: Horoscope in Hindi

Jammu & Kashmir polls: Nearly 33 PC voting recorded till noon

According to official figures, Doda Assembly segment has recorded the highest turnout of 41 percent, followed by Inderwal with 39.67 percent, Kangan with 39.50 percent, Sonawari with 38.99 percent.

Similarly, Bandipora Assembly segment recorded 32.72 percent polling, 36.89 percent in Banihal, 36.20 percent in Ramban, 37.20 per cent in Bhaderwah, 31.17 percent in Ganderbal, 37.54 percent in Gurez, 36.57 percent in Kisthwar.

Ladakh region, where the minimum temperature is eight degrees below freezing point, recorded slow polling in the morning hours.

Kargil Assembly segment recorded 24 percent polling, followed by Leh with 10.47 percent, Nobra with 27.52 percent and Zanskar with 22.80 percent polling.

While nearly 33 percent of the 10.52 lakh electorate exercised their franchise till 12 PM, serpentine queues could be seen at many polling stations as voters waited for their turn.

In the 2008 Assembly elections, an average of over 60 per cent polling was witnessed.

The situation across the state has been by and large peaceful so far, barring couple of stray incidents of violence in Ganderbal and Bandipora districts.

Suspected militants hurled grenades at two polling stations in Nowpora area of Bandipora and Naidkhai area of Sonawari but there was no damage done in the explosions.

The polling went on peacefully even after the explosions as the grenades landed some distance away from the booths. In Barsoo area of Ganderbal, PDP supporters clashed with National Conference supporters, resulting in minor injuries to one person.

Army Chief on visit to Jammu & Kashmir

Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag is undertaking a visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday to review the security situation there as the first phase of polling goes underway.

Suhag will begin his tour of the state from Srinagar. He is expected to be back in the national capital later in the evening.

Ensuring a violence-free election in Jammu and Kashmir is a major task for the Army at the moment and the force has been put on high alert.

Some militant groups have given a poll boycott call in the state.

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26.5 percent votes till 11 am, sporadic incidents in Jharkhand polls

Chief Electoral Officer P K Jajoria said barring reports of a couple of sporadic incidents, voting was "progressing peacefully with an impressive turnout of voters".

A landmine was detected at Hariharganj under Hussainabad Assembly constituency in Palamau district and was defused, he said. A couple of "fake explosives" were also recovered and there was no cause for worry, he said. Para-military forces were manning the areas, he said.

26.5 percent polling was reported till 11 AM and Jajoria said he expected better polling percentage this time than the previous elections.

Voting was picking up in the rural areas, he said. Braving the chill, women in large numbers had lined up in front of the polling booths even before polling began at 7 AM. Voting will end at 3 PM.

All the 13 seats are spread over the six Maoist affected districts of Palamu, Gumla, Lohardaga, Chatra, Garhwa and Latehar.

Ten sitting MLAs, including one minister, and several former ministers are among 199 candidates trying their luck today.

The Assembly seats going to polls include Chatra (SC), Gumla (ST), Bishunpur (ST), Lohardaga (ST), Manika (ST), Latehar (SC), Panki and Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur (SC), Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur.

A total of of 33,61,938, including 15,77,090 women voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase to choose among the candidates, including 18 women and 72 independents.

This is the third Assembly election in Jharkhand which was carved out of Bihar in 2000.

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