Jharkhand: Voting begins for 3rd phase of assembly elections - Livemint

Police officials carry EVMs as they leave for election duty for the third phase of polling in Ranchi on Monday. Photo: PTI

Ranchi: Voting for the third phase election to the Jharkhand assembly began on Tuesday at 7am in 17 constituencies spread across eight districts.

A 5 million-strong electorate, including 2.35 million women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to choose among 289 candidates, including 26 women.

Chief electoral officer P.K. Jajoria said that six helicopters were engaged for air surveillance and airdropping of polling and security personnel.

Security forces are keeping a close watch in the Maoist-affected areas where 1,957 booths have been marked as highly sensitive and 1,477 as sensitive booths. The exact number of forces deployed for the poll is not being divulged by the authorities for “strategic” reasons.

A 10-member team from Kenya is in Ranchi to see the democratic exercise.

Polling will end at 3pm in 14 constituencies and will continue till 5pm in Ranchi, Hatia and Kanke constituencies.

Eight MLAs are also seeking re-election in this phase which has also 103 independent candidates in fray.

The election commission has also appointed 17 general observers, seven expenditure observers, two police observers, two awareness observers and 807 micro-observers for the third of the five-phase poll.

There are 5,862 EVM control units and 9,073 ballot units. Voter-verified paper audit trail are in place in Ranchi, Hatia and Kanke constituencies.

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