Maoist strongholds see rise in polling

Sixteen of Jharkhand’s 28 Scheduled Tribe-reserved seats voted on Tuesday, with the Election Commission saying that the polling percentage of all 20 constituencies that went to poll Tuesday touched 65.72 per cent. This is an improvement from 2009’s turnout of 59.47 per cent for the corresponding constituencies. There were no major incidents reported.

Parts of seven districts across two administrative divisions voted on Tuesday. Overall trends suggest that the CPI(Maoist) strongholds of Kolhan division registered sharp rise in poll percentages over 2009. Even in urban constituencies like Jamshedpur East and West, the percentage went from 45.19 per cent and 42.17 per cent in 2009 to 58 and 60 per cent this time.

Two former chief ministers also had their fates sealed Tuesday — Arjun Munda of the BJP and Madhu Koda, who operates his own outfit. Polling percentages remained high in both constituencies — Munda’s Kharsawan went from 55 per cent in 2009 to 71 per cent on Tuesday while Koda’s Majhgaon went from 67.58 per cent in 2009 to 72 per cent.