Voting for the first phase of Jharkhand’s assembly elections began on Wednesday morning, with polls being held in 43 constituencies across 15 districts. The elections will decide the fate of 683 candidates, including 73 women. Alongside this, bypolls are taking place in 31 assembly seats across 10 states, as well as the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala.
Polling in Jharkhand started at 7:00 am and will continue until 5:00 pm, with voting at 950 sensitive booths concluding at 4:00 pm, though those in line by that time will still be allowed to vote. Security arrangements are in place, with over 200 companies of security forces deployed to ensure a smooth and secure election process.
The BJP-led NDA is hoping to unseat the JMM-led coalition, with notable candidates such as former Chief Minister Champai Soren (BJP) contesting in Seraikela, and Congress leader Ajoy Kumar facing off against Purnima Das Sahu, the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Raghubar Das, in Jamshedpur East. Geeta Koda, wife of former CM Madhu Koda, is running for the BJP in Jaganathpur against Congress’s Sona Ram Sinku. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has fielded sitting Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji from Ranchi.
In Kerala, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut in the Wayanad bypoll, a seat once held by her brother Rahul Gandhi. She is contesting against Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Satyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas. The Chelakkara assembly seat in Thrissur district is also up for election.
In addition to Jharkhand and Wayanad, bypolls are being held in various states, including Rajasthan (7 seats), West Bengal (6 seats), and Assam (5 seats). Voting in these states will take place today, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.