High Stakes in Jharkhand: Youth and Women Lead the Way at the Polls

Jharkhand witnessed a 27.80% voter turnout by 11 am in the sixth phase of elections, with Giridih leading the polls. Governor C P Radhakrishnan urged citizens to vote, emphasizing the democratic process. Key battles are evident in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, and Giridih with 82.16 lakh voters participating.

Nearly 27.80 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in Jharkhand's four Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the sixth phase of elections on Saturday, officials said.

Voting began at 7 am in Giridih, Dhanbad, Ranchi and Jamshedpur seats, and will continue till 5 pm.

Giridih registered the highest polling at 29 per cent, followed by Jamshedpur at 28.45 per cent, Ranchi at 28.06 per cent and Dhanbad at 26.06 per cent.

"Today, I exercised my right to vote at Shri Krishna Institute of Public Administration, Ranchi. I urge all voters to exercise their right to vote. Ensure your participation in this great festival of democracy,'' Governor C P Radhakrishnan said in a post on X.

Twenty-seven candidates are fighting the elections from Ranchi, 25 each from Dhanbad and Jamshedpur, and 16 from Giridih.

Around 82.16 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in these four constituencies, with Dhanbad having the highest number of electors at 22.85 lakh, and Giridih having the lowest at 18.64 lakh.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar said all 8,963 booths were being closely monitored. Of these, 186 are being managed by women and 22 by the youth.

Additionally, there are 15 unique booths, showcasing the specialties of the respective areas.

About 36,000 poll personnel have been deployed in this phase, Kumar said.

In the Ranchi Lok Sabha seat, Congress' Yashaswini Sahay, daughter of former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, is contesting against BJP MP Sanjay Seth.

Dhanbad is witnessing a fight between BJP's Baghmara MLA Dulu Mahato and Congress' Anupama Singh, the wife of the party's Bermo legislator Kumar Jaimangal.

In Jamshedpur, BJP MP Bidyut Baran Mahato has been pitted against JMM's Baharagora MLA Samir Mohanty.

In Giridih, AJSU Party's Chandra Prakash Chaudhary is up against JMM's Tundi MLA Mathura Mahato. A student leader, Jairam Mahato, has added a twist to the contest by challenging candidates of both the INDIA bloc and the NDA.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)