Campaign ends for second phase of polling in Jharkhand

Campaigning ended on Tuesday in six Lok Sabha constituencies in the second of the three phase polling in Jharkhand for the April 17 elections.

The constituencies where polling would be held are Giridih, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Singhbhum ST, Khunti ST and Hazaribagh from among the total 14 LS seats.

Elections in Hazaribagh, were originally scheduled on April 10 before being shifted to April 17 as the date coincided with Ram Navami festival.

Among the 106 nominees, prominent candidates were Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Karia Munda of BJP as also Jayant Sinha, son of Jaswant Sinha, former Team India Manager Amitabh Chowdhury of JVM(P), former deputy Chief Minister, Suresh Mahato of Ajsu party and former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay of Congress.

The BJP, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM-Prajatantric) and the Bahujan Samaj party were contesting in all the six constituencies.

The Congress has fielded 4 nominees, the CPI 2, CPI(M) 1, Ajsu party 4, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 2. BSP's Durga Oraon opted out of the contest in support of the Congress.

BJP's prominent campaigner was Narendra Modi and party president Rajnath Singh, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bihar Chief Minster Nitish Kumar.

While the BJP promised special status category to Jharkhand if it came to power, the TMC declared it would implement development programmes as in West Bengal.

Among poll issues were irrigation, the underground fire at Jharia in Dhanbad, employment, jobs, health facilities, roads, electricity and prevention of migration.

Of the total electorate of 85,18,979 men comprised 44,48,640.

Besides security personnel, the EC deployed 14 Expenditure Observers and three Police Observers to assist them.