Polling for the first phase of Jharkhand's assembly elections, bypolls in 33 assembly seats across 11 states and the Wayanad Parliamentary seat in Kerala began today, i.e., November 13.
According to a report by PTI, a total of 1.37 crore out of the total 2.60 crore voters are eligible to participate in the first phase of voting today. There are 683 candidates in the fray, out of which, 609 are men, 73 women and one of the third gender person.
Visuals from a polling station in Jamshedpur showed voters arriving to caste their votes.
Meanwhile, mock polling was conducted at a polling station at St Francis School in Ranchi ahead of the polling, set to begin at 7 a.m.
Similarly, mock polling was also conducted at a polling station in Jamshedpur.
Polling booth number 279 Presiding Officer Rakesh Raushan informed news agency ANI that the polling will be concluded at 5 p.m.
In Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA is eyeing on ousting the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The state will hold voting in two phases, with the next and final phase scheduled for November 20. The first phase will cover 43 out of 81 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the voters of Jharkhand to vote with full enthusiasm.
"Today is the first round of voting in the Jharkhand assembly elections. I urge all voters to vote with full enthusiasm in this festival of democracy. On this occasion, my heartiest congratulations to all my young friends who are going to vote for the first time! Remember - first vote, then refreshment!" the PM wrote in a post on 'X'.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge also urged the voters to caste their votes to strengthen the constitution and democracy.
