A security person inspects identity cards of voters as they wait to cast their votes for Assembly Elections at a polling station in Daltonganj in this file photo. Photo: PTI A security person inspects identity cards of voters as they wait to cast their votes for Assembly Elections at a polling station in Daltonganj in this file photo. Photo: PTI

Women voters on Sunday outnumbered men in the fourth phase of the Assembly elections in Jharkhand. Around 61 per cent balloting was reported from across the 15 constituencies that went to the polls, officials said.

"The highest polling was reported from Chankayari with 71.28 per cent, followed by 70.2 per cent in Madhupur. Polling was by and large peaceful. The turnout in Maoist-affected areas was more than 60 percent," a poll official said.



Nearly 49 per cent turn out, polling peaceful in Jharkhand

About 49.00 per cent turn out registered till 1 pm in 15 seats in Jharkhand where polling is underway in the fourth round.

Elections are going on smoothly and peacefully, poll officials said.

Giridih, the second seat from where former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) president Babulal Marandi is contesting, recorded 47.49 per cent polling, the officials said.

He also contested from Dhanwar, where polling was held in the third phase on Deecember 9.

About 30 per cent voters cast their votes till 11 am



About a third of voters had cast their votes till 11.00 am in the fourth phase of the Jharkhand state assembly elections.

"Till 11.00 am, 30.06 per cent voting has taken place. Till 11.00 am the highest turnout was in Sindri with 40 per cent, followed by Tundi with 39 percent," an election official said.

Earlier, balloting for 15 of the total 81 seats of the Jharkhand state assembly began today at 7 am.

Over 13 per cent polling in first two hours

Braving the early morning chill, over 13 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling in 15 Assembly constituencies spread across four districts of Jharkhand today.

Despite the chill, voters were seen standing in queues in front of the booths since 7 am, when polling began.

Polling officials said Madhupur seat registered a voter turnout of 14.10 per cent, Deoghar recorded 12.96 per cent, Bagodar 14 percent, Jamua 11 percent, Gandey 9.29 percent, Giridih 10.84 per cent, Dumri 10.2 per cent, Bokaro 10.63 per cent, Chandankyari 14.12 per cent, Sindri 17 per cent, Nirsa 18 per cent, Dhanbad 15.69 per cent, Jharia 15 per cent, Tundi 17 per cent and Baghmara 15 pc.

Polling has been incident-free till 9 am, the officials said.

Voting begins for 15 seats:



Voting began on Sunday for 15 of the 81 assembly constituencies in the fourth of the five-phase elections in Jharkhand.

Over 43 lakh voters, including more than 20 lakh women, will decide the fate of 217 candidates that includes 16 women.

Balloting will take place at 5,482 polling booths.

Voting on 13 seats began at 7 am and will take place till 3 pm, but will continue in the two constituencies of Dhanbad and Bokaro till 5 pm.

Former chief minister Babulal Marandi is contesting from Giridih.

Ministers Mannan Mallik of the Congress, Haji Hussain Ansari of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Suresh Paswan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal are among the prominent candidates in this phase.

With 28 candidates, Bokaro has the maximum number of contestants while Jamua, Chandankyari and Tundi have the minimum of ten candidates each.

In all, 716 out of 3,718 polling stations are marked as highly sensitive and 2007 as sensitive and only 615 polling station locations are situated in urban areas.

Adequate security arrangements have been made in all the 15 constituencies with many being Maoist-hit.

The Election Commission assigned 335 polling stations for webcasting.

The EC has also deployed 27,410 polling personnel across the 15 constituencies with 5,482 Control Units for EVM and 6,978 ballot units.

VVPAT (Voter verified paper audit trail) will be used in a combined total of 917 polling stations in Bokaro and Dhanbad. The Election Commission has also deployed 15 general observers, six expenditure observers, two police observers, two awareness observers and 1,069 micro observers, according to EC sources.

Polling to 50 of the 81 seats has already been concluded in the previous three phases.