New Delhi: The long-awaited counting of votes for Jharkhand’s urban civic elections began on Friday under tight security across the state.
Polling for 48 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)—comprising nine Municipal Corporations, 20 Municipal Councils and 19 Nagar Panchayats—was held on February 23 and recorded a robust turnout of about 62 per cent.
Of the more than 43.33 lakh registered voters, over 21.26 lakh women cast their ballots, underscoring strong female participation in urban governance. The elections mark the return of elected municipal bodies after a prolonged gap since the last major civic polls in 2018.
A total of 25 counting centres have been set up at district headquarters statewide. In Deoghar, counting is underway at centres in Deoghar and Madhupur. Officials said the process began at 8 a.m., with early trends expected within a few hours.
Voting was conducted using two coloured ballot papers—white for ward councillors and pink for mayor or chairperson posts.
Across the 48 ULBs, Jharkhand has 1,087 wards, though polling took place in 1,042. Forty-one councillors were elected unopposed, three wards remained vacant due to the absence of nominations, and polling in one ward of the Mango Municipal Corporation was countermanded following a candidate’s death.
In all, more than 43 lakh voters were eligible. A total of 562 candidates—including 235 women—contested mayor and chairperson posts, while 5,562 candidates, including 2,727 women, vied for ward councillor positions.
Though the elections were held without official party symbols, many candidates are backed by political groups, keeping contests closely watched across urban centres. Heavy security has been deployed at all counting venues to ensure a smooth and peaceful process.
With inputs from IANS