61.08% voter turnout in 4th phase of Jharkhand polls

Polling in 15 constituencies of the state today ended with 61.08% electorate exercising their franchise in the penultimate phase of the Assembly elections in Jharkhand as the day passed off peacefully.

The polling, which began at 7 AM in all the seats, ended at 3 PM in 13 constituencies while it concluded at 5 PM in Dhanbad and Bokaro, Election Commission office sources said here.

The 13 other seats which went for polling in this round were Madhupur, Deogarh (SC), Bagodar, Jamua (SC), Gandey, Giridih, Dumri, Chandankyari (SC), Sindri, Nirsa, Jharia, Tundi and Baghmara.

"61.08% polling has been registered, which may go up (in the final count)," Chief Electoral Officer P K Jajoria told reporters here adding voting passed off peacefully.

Of the segments, Chandankyari (SC) registered the highest figure of 71.28%, followed by Madhupur at 70.20, the EC sources said.

At Pirtand in Giridih Assembly constituency Maoists posters asking the voters to boycott the polls had been removed, police sources said.

Giridih registered 62.61% votes, according to the EC.

Giridih is the second seat from where former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) President Babulal Marandi are contesting. He also contested from Dhanwar, where polling was held in the third phase on December 9.

An FIR was filed against an activist of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) at a booth in Tundi constituency for allegedly taking a party banner inside the booth, a Dhanbad report said quoting the police.

Constitutency-wise break-up of other seats - Deoghar (64), Bagodar (66.30), Jamua (58), Gandey (64), Dumri (65.30), Bokaro (51.11), Sindri (65), Nirsa (63), Dhanbad (55), Jharia (52), Tundi (62) and Baghmara (58), the EC sources said.

Polling for the rest 16 seats in Jharkhand will be held in the fifth and final phase elections on December 20.

Counting will be taken up on December 23 for the 81-member state assembly.