Jharkhand sees 64.3 % turnout in second phase, one person killed in police firing

A voter turnout of 64.3 per cent was registered in Jharkhand in the second phase of assembly polls in which 20 constituencies went to the polls on Saturday.

An incident of violence was reported from Gumla and a person was killed and three others injured in police firing outside a polling booth.

"The police resorted to firing after a minor clash broke between them and the locals outside booth number 36 of Sisai constituency in Gumla," said Vishnu Dev Chaudhary, Police in-charge Sisai Gumla.

Of the 20 constituencies spread over seven districts, 18 seats were Maoist-affected. The state had registered 68.01 per cent polls in these seats in 2014 assembly elections.

While the Election Commission release put the figure of polling at 62.4 per cent, the commission's website showed an updated figure of 64.3 per cent.

A total of 260 candidates including 29 female candidates were in the fray in the second phase of polling.

The second phase will decide the electoral fate of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, who contested the polls from Jamshedpur (East).

Except for the incident in Gumla, the polling remained largely peaceful.

The Assembly election is being held in Jharkhand in five phases. The first phase had concluded on November 30 and voting for the third phase will be conducted on December 12. The results will be declared on December 23.