Polling in the first phase of Jharkhand's assembly elections began at 7 AM on Wednesday across 43 constituencies in 15 districts, with a voter turnout of 13.04 percent recorded by 9 AM, officials reported. Voting will continue until 5 PM. A total of 683 candidates, including former Chief Minister Champai Soren and ex-MP Geeta Kora, are vying for seats in this phase.
Polling in 43 constituencies across 15 districts of Jharkhand started at 7 AM on Wednesday and will continue until 5 PM, with voting in 950 booths concluding at 4 PM. However, voters who are in line at that time will still be allowed to cast their ballots, according to an official. The JMM-led coalition is aiming to retain power by highlighting its welfare initiatives, including the Maiyan Samman Yojna, while the BJP has focused its campaign on an aggressive Hindutva agenda, as well as issues of infiltration and alleged corruption by the current government.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and his wife and legislator Kalpana Soren, emphasized the importance of welfare schemes while accusing the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies such as the ED, CBI, and I-T to target opposition leaders.