Four Jharkhand LS seats to go to polls on Sunday

In the third phase of polling in Jharkhand, sixth in the country, 66,85,401 voters will decide the fate of 67 candidates in four Lok Sabha seats -- Giridih, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Singhbhum (Chaibasa) -- on Sunday.

More than 200 companies of security forces have been deployed at 8,300 polling booths in these constituencies. In Maoist-affected Jhumra hill of the Bokaro district, falling under the Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat, polling officials were transported to the booths by helicopters.

At present, all these four seats are with the BJP.

In Giridih, there are 15 candidates whose fate will be decided by 16,47,715 voters including 8,77,932 males and 7,69,764 females.

In Dhanbad, 20 candidates are in the race and the total number of voters are 20,58,233, which include 11,21,588 males and 9,46,641 females.

In Jamshedpur, there are 23 candidates with 17,01,342 voters, including 8,71,103 males and 8,30,183 females.

In Singhbhum, 9 candidates are in the fray, while the total number of voters are 12,68,111 -- 6,34,972 males and 6,33,132 females.

The battle in Giridih is between All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) nominee Chandraprakash Chowdhary, Water Resources Minister in the Jharkhand government, and Jaggarnath Mahto of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). In Dhanbad, P N Singh of the BJP is taking on Kirti Azad, the BJP-rebel nominated by the Congress.

In steel city Jamshedpur, the contest is between Vidyut Baran Mahto of the BJP and Champai Soren of the JMM. In Singhbhum, Laxman Giluwa of the BJP is fighting against Geeta Koda of the Congress.

--IANS

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