58 pc vote despite Maoist threat

An estimated 58 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the penultimate phase of polling for the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly which passed off peacefully on Saturday amid tight security. The 14 Maoist-infested constituencies where polling was held were Bahragora,Ghatsila,Potka,Ichagarh,Majhgaon,Manoharpur,Chakradharpur,Torpa,Sisai,Gumla,Bishunpur,Simdega,Kolebira and Lohardaga.

IG and spokesperson of the Jharkhand Police V H Deshmukh said barring two incidents of firing in West Singhbhum district,the polling remained peaceful. Joint Chief Electoral Officer A K Sinha too said there was no untoward incident reported from anywhere.

There were 233 candidates,20 of them women,in the fray in the fourth phase. With this,polling in 65 seats have been completed. Polling for the fifth and final phase will be held on December 18. Results will be announced on December 23.

The polling began at 7 am and continued till 3 pm. Security forces were deployed in large numbers and air surveillance was carried out,sources said. Men and women standing in long queues were seen in the Naxalite-infested and Scheduled Tribe reserve constituencies of Torpa,Ghatsila,Potka and Bahragora where the voter turnout was around 58,60,57 and 60 per cent,respectively.