Ranchi: Voting concluded in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in four constituencies of Jharkhand.
Till 5 pm, an average of 63.14% voter turnout was recorded in the four Lok Sabha constituencies of Jharkhand that went for polling on Monday.
The four Lok Sabha constituencies where voting is taking place include Khunti, Singhbhum, Lohardaga and Palamu.
In these four Lok Sabha constituencies, 65.82 %, 66.11 %, 62.60 % and 59.99 percent voting took place respectively.
The candidates whose fate has been sealed in EVMs include Union Minister Arjun Munda, MP BD Ram, Geeta Koda, Joba Manjhi, Sukhdev Bhagat, Sameer Oraon, Mamta Bhuyan and Kalicharan Munda.
Khunti Lok Sabha – 63.82 %, Kolebira – 65.01 %, Kharsanwa – 67.58 %, Khunti – 66.79 %, Tamar – 66.36 %, Torpa – 64.36 %, Simdega – 64.52 %.
Lohardaga Lok Sabha – 62.60 %, Gumla – 62.30 %, Bishunpur – 60.71 %, Mander – 62.08 %, Lohardaga – 65.90 %, Sisai – 62.07 %.
Palamu Lok Sabha – 59.99 %, Garhwa – 62.74 %, Chhatarpur – 59.20 %, Daltenganj – 60.62 %, Bhavnathpur – 62.62 %, Vishrampur – 58.60 %, Hussainabad – 55.03 %.
Singhbhum Lok Sabha – 66.11 %, Chakradharpur – 65.98 %, Chaibasa – 70.12 %, Jagannathpur – 67.22 %, Mazgaon – 67.85 %, Manoharpur – 63.56 %, Seraikela – 63.50 %.
Till 1 pm, 43.80 votes have been cast.
Voting was 43.83 % in Singhbhum, 47.41 % in Khunti, 41.85 % in Palamu and 43.46 % in Lohardaga.
Whereas in Mandar assembly constituency falling under Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency, 42.80 % percent voting took place.
The voting percentage of Tamar assembly constituency falling in Khunti Lok Sabha area is 49.31 %.
Meanwhile, there has been a ruckus in Chhatarpur booth number 94 of Palamu Lok Sabha constituency.
Here BJP and RJD workers have clashed with each other.
Security forces have chased away the miscreants.
Earlier, till 11 am, 27.40 % votes had been cast.
Voting was 26.16 % in Singhbhum, 29.14 % in Khunti, 26.95 % in Palamu and 27.77 % in Lohardaga.
Whereas in Mandar Assembly constituency falling under Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency, 27.69 percent voting took place.
The voting percentage of Tamar assembly constituency falling in Khunti Loss area was 32.8 %.
Till 9 o’clock, 11.78 percent voting took place in the four assembly constituencies.
Voting was 12.67 % in Singhbhum, 12.20 % in Khunti, 11.47 % in Palamu and 10.97 % in Lohardaga.
Till 9 am, 10.78 percent voting took place in Mandar assembly constituency falling in Lohardaga Lok Sabha area and 11.25 percent voting took place in Tamar assembly constituency falling in Khunti Lok Sabha area.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and BJP candidate from Khunti Lok Sabha Arjun Munda cast his vote at booth number 172 of East Primary School, Khelarisai in Kharsawan.
Along with him, his wife Meera Munda also voted.
Chief Minister, Champai Soren cast his vote at the Jhilingora Utkramit Madhya Vidyalay polling booth in the Seraikela assembly segment near Jamshedpur around 9 am.
Soren, who was accompanied with his wife, two sons and as many daughters-in-law, called upon the people of to come out of their houses for the polling.
“This is the great democratic festival, All should participate in the grand festival by casting one’s esteemed vote,” observed the chief minister while responding to the queries by the media.
The NDA candidate, Geeta Koda cast her vote at the polling booth in Patahatu village in Jagannathpur block in West Singhbhum at around 9.30 am.
Former chief minister, Madhu Koda had accompanied her to the polling booth where a long queue of voters was getting longer.
The INDI Alliance candidate, Joba Majhi cast her vote at a polling booth in Chakradharpur early around 7.15 am.
In urban areas, including in Chaibasa in West Singhbhum and in Adityapur-Gamharia in Seraikela, the polling for the Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat was in progress with enthusiasm among the voters.
“We do never evade to use our franchise during any election; be it parliamentary election or assembly election or a municipal election.
Each and every member of our extended family devote the required time for the voting as every vote counts ultimately for setting up a strong and reliable government,” observed Ram Gyani Sahi, a resident of Road No 32 in Adityapur-2.
Significantly, the polling in the Saranda area and also the Goelkera-Sonua area where some pockets exist with a waning Naxal influence was peaceful as police and paramilitary forces were on the maximum alert.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Prasad Sahu reached polling station number 279 located in Thana Toli Girls Middle School of Lohardaga urban area and cast his vote.
After coming out, he appealed to all the voters to vote in the national interest and use their franchise.
Dheeraj Sahu said that he has voted for the development of the country.
A lot of enthusiasm is being seen among the voters in Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency.
From general to special polling stations, people are exercising their franchise.
In the Singhbhum Lok Sabha constituency, 1,715 polling centres have been set up, with 250 in urban areas and 1,454 in rural areas.
In the Khunti Lok Sabha constituency, there are 1,705 polling centres, with only 83 in urban areas and the rest, 1,622, in rural areas.
Lohardaga has 1,748 polling centres, out of which only 76 are in urban areas.
Meanwhile, in the Palamu Lok Sabha constituency, there are 2,427 polling centres, with 230 in urban areas and 2,197 in rural areas.
According to the Election Commission’s figures, there are 14 candidates in Singhbhum, 7 in Khunti, 9 in Palamu, and 15 in Lohardaga trying their luck.
In Khunti, the faceoff is between Central Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Arjun Munda and opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ candidate Kalicharan Munda