Nearly 13.04 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 9 am on Wednesday in 43 assembly constituencies in Jharkhand where voting is underway in the first phase, officials said. Polling began around 7 am in these constituencies across 15 districts and will continue till 5 pm.
A total of 683 candidates are trying their luck, including former CM Champai Soren and ex-MP Geeta Kora. Voting in 950 booths will end at 4 PM, though people standing in the queue at that time will be able to exercise their franchise, an official said. Long queues of voters were seen outside several booths in the morning.
Simdega seat registered the highest voter turnout at 15.09 per cent, Ranchi at 12.06 per cent and Seraikela-Kharsawan at 14.62 per cent. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar has cast his vote at the ATI polling booth in Ranchi.
"Today is the first phase of voting for the Jharkhand Assembly elections. I urge all voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote as soon as possible and vote with full enthusiasm in this festival of democracy. Remember, first vote and then refreshment!" Gangwar said.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren sought the backing of the people. In a post on X, he said, "If you like our work, please support us. I promise that I will do 10 years of work in the next 5 years so that no one can stop our pace of progress." -- PTI