Voting for the second phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections commenced at 7 am on Wednesday, covering the remaining 38 seats.
Mock polling was conducted earlier in Jamtara, Deoghar, and several other booths around 5 pm.
Ahead of the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to participate enthusiastically in the final phase, aiming for record voter turnout. He also congratulated first-time voters, emphasizing the importance of their votes in strengthening the state.
“Today is the second and last phase of the great festival of democracy in Jharkhand. I urge all voters to participate enthusiastically and set a new record for voter turnout. On this occasion, I especially congratulate all my young friends voting for the first time. Your vote strengthens the state,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
The first phase of voting, covering 43 of the 81 assembly seats, took place on November 13.
The elections have become a fierce contest between the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress alliance, striving to retain power, and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA, which aims to unseat the Hemant Soren-led government.
In the first phase, key candidates included former Chief Minister Champai Soren (BJP), who contested from Seraikela, and Congress leader Ajoy Kumar, who competed from Jamshedpur East against Purnima Das Sahu, daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Raghubar Das. In Jagannathpur, BJP’s Geeta Koda, wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, faced Congress leader Sona Ram Sinku. Meanwhile, JMM fielded sitting Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji from Ranchi.
In the second phase, prominent constituencies are under the spotlight. Chief Minister Hemant Soren is contesting from the Barhait constituency against BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom.
Another significant candidate is BJP’s Babulal Marandi, contesting from the Dhanwar constituency. Marandi, Jharkhand’s first Chief Minister, served as Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing assembly and is now up against JMM’s Nizam Uddin Ansari.
Kalpana Soren, wife of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, is contesting against BJP’s Muniya Devi in the Gandey constituency. Kalpana Soren had previously won the assembly by-election in Gandey earlier this year. Additionally, BJP’s Sita Soren is vying for the Jamtara constituency.