Jharkhand Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Phase 5 Voting Ends in Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Koderma and Khunti Parliamentary Constituencies; 64.23% Voter Turnout Recorded

Ranchi, May 4: Voting in four parliamentary constituencies of Jharkhand concluded at 4 pm.  This round of the polling between featured a contest in the key constituencies of Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Koderma and Khunti (ST). The stipulated polling time was between 7 am to  4 pm. A total, 64.23 percent voter turnout was recorded in the state.

There were 65,87,028 electorates in the four seats. Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni cast his vote at a polling booth in Jawahar Vidya Mandir in Ranchi. Among the total electorate, 31,44,679 are female voters and 83 belong to the third gender, the Election Commission said in its press release. Rahul Gandhi vs Smriti Irani Headlines Phase 5 LS Polls Contest

Union minister Jayant Sinha was seeking re-election from the Hazaribagh constituency as a BJP candidate. Congress candidate Gopal Sahu was pitted against him. Two-time MP and CPIs Jharkhand unit secretary B P Mehta was also in the fray from Hazaribagh.

The BJP has fielded former chief minister Arjun Munda from Khunti, Sanjay Seth from Ranchi and Annapurna Devi from Koderma, replacing its sitting MPs Karia Munda, Ramtahal Chaudhary and Ravindra Rai respectively.

Annapurna Devi, who quit the RJD and joined the BJP on March 25, is facing Mahagathbandhans Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) president Babulal Marandi and CPI (ML- Liberation) MLA Raj Kumar Yadav from Koderma.

Seth was taking on former union minister and Congress candidate Subodh Kant Sahay from Ranchi, where the five-time BJP MP, Ramtahal Choudhary, contested as an independent after being denied ticket by the BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi canvassed for Annapurna Devi from Koderma while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed Hazaribagh people through a video conference from Lucknow as he could not reach the constituency on Friday.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed the people of Khunti and sought their votes for party candidate Kalicharan Munda.

Adequate security arrangements were made to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections, police sources said.

The EC release said that total number of polling personnel for the second phase polling is 39,909 and the number of micro observers will be 1,191.

Out of a total of 8,834 polling stations, 105 will be manned by women polling personnel.

At least 918 polling stations out of the total will have webcasting facility.

The first phase of polling in Jharkhand was held in three Lok Sabha seats - Lohardaga (ST), Palamu (SC) and Chatraon - on April 29.

(With PTI inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2019 07:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).