Voters came out in big numbers to exercise their franchise on Tuesday morning for Jharkhand assembly’s bypolls for Dumka and Bermo constituencies and were unfazed by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
The voting for the assembly bypolls, like the rest of the country, started at 7 am on Tuesday.
Election Commission of India’s (ECI) data showed that 32.62% and 28.55% of the electorates had cast their votes till 11 am in Dumka and Bermo constituencies, respectively.
Bermo and Dumka had recorded 60.91% and 66.89% of polling, respectively, in last year’s Jharkhand assembly polls.
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The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has fielded Basant Soren, the younger son of party patriarch Shibu Soren from Dumka, the party’s traditional stronghold.
The Congress has nominated Jaimangal Singh, the son of the deceased six-term party legislator Rajendra Singh from Bermo. The move has drawn the opposition’s flak for indulging in dynasty politics.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on its old faces. It has fielded former state minister Lois Marandi and two term-legislator Yogeshwar Mahto Batul from Dumka and Bermo constituencies, respectively.
{{/usCountry}}The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on its old faces. It has fielded former state minister Lois Marandi and two term-legislator Yogeshwar Mahto Batul from Dumka and Bermo constituencies, respectively.
{{/usCountry}}The electoral outcome is unlikely to have any impact on the state government.
The ruling JMM, the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) coalition are firmly in the saddle in the 81-member Jharkhand legislative assembly. The combine has 78 legislators in the assembly, whose current strength is 78.
Besides Dumka and Bermo constituencies, one more assembly seat fell vacant in October because of the death of the JMM lawmaker and minority affairs minister, Haji Hussain Ansari.