Jharkhand assembly elections to be held in 5 phases from Nov 30, results on 23 December, announces EC

In the first phase on 30 November, voting will be held on 13 assembly seats. Then, 20 constituencies will vote on 7 December, 17 constituencies on 12 December, 15 constituencies on 16 December.

Elections in Jharkhand’s 81 assembly constituencies will be held in five phases beginning 30 November, the Election Commission of India announced on Friday. Counting of votes will take place on 23 December.

Old aged rural voters coming out from the polling booth after casting their vote in Jharkhand. The term of the outgoing assembly expires on 1 January 2020.(HT file photo)

In the first phase on 30 November, voting will be held on 13 assembly seats. Then, 20 constituencies will vote on 7 December, 17 constituencies on 12 December, 15 constituencies on 16 December. In the fifth round, voting will take place on 16 assembly seats on 20 December and the results will be out three days later.

“There were a lot of sensitivities in our mind… We should finish before Christmas (on 25 December),” Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a media briefing. Arora said the model code of conduct for political parties has kicked in for the state with this announcement.

The term of the outgoing assembly expires on 1 January 2020.

The five-phase poll has been necessitated on account of Maoist violence in the state.

Four out of every five assembly constituencies in the state, a total of 67 constituencies, are affected by Maoist violence, Arora said, stressing that special security arrangements have been made for the state’s Maoist-affected districts.

 

Highlights:

•In phase 5, 16 assembly constituencies will go to voting on 20 December.

•In phase 4, 15 assembly constituencies will go to voting on 16 December

•In phase 3, 17 assembly constituencies will got to voting on 12 December.

• In phase 2, 20 assembly constituencies will got to voting on 7 December.

•In phase 1, 13 assembly constituencies will go to voting on 30 November

•Term of current assembly is expiring on January 5, 2020. Total electorate in Jharkhand is 2.26 crore. There is a 20 per cent increase in the number of polling stations.