Jharkhand election 2024 live updates: 43 seats have over 13% of the vote cast as of 9 a.m.

Elections in Jharkhand in 2024 live: There were 1,152 polling places with all-female polling booths, more than 200 security force companies, and around 1.37 crore voters.

Jharkhand Election 2024: On Wednesday, November 13, voting in 43 assembly seats kicked off the 81-member state legislative assembly election in Jharkhand. In 43 assembly constituencies, voter turnout was close to 13.04 percent as of 9 a.m. on Wednesday. The highest voter turnout was recorded in the Simdega seat (15.09%), followed by Ranchi (12.06%) and Seraikela-Kharsawan (14.62%).

There are 17 general seats, 20 seats set aside for Scheduled Tribes, and 6 seats set aside for Scheduled Castes among the 43 constituencies. Phase two polling for the remaining 38 seats is scheduled for November 20.

Since 950 polling places in 31 constituencies have been designated as "sensitive," the Election Commission of India (ECI) has implemented complex security measures. Regular polling is scheduled to start at 7am and go until 5pm, while the mock poll started at 5.30am. The "sensitive" booths will close for voting at 4 p.m.

In the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, 638 candidates, including 73 women, are vying for 43 seats. In the previous election, Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won 30 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, and Congress took 16. Following the election, the JMM, Congress, and RJD coalition formed the government, with Hemant Soren assuming the role of chief minister.

Utkarsh Kumar, the Returning Officer for the Ranchi Assembly constituency, confirmed that polling stations are equipped with essential facilities, including drinking water, toilets, and web-casting. “All preparations are in place for polling. Security and CAPF have been deployed, and all Election Commission regulations are being followed,” he stated.

In its election manifesto, the BJP-led NDA outlined 25 key promises, which include a pledge to “drive out infiltrators” from Bangladesh and introduce a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) while safeguarding tribal identities.

The JMM, currently in power, has promised 33% job reservations for women in government roles and has committed to addressing nine focus areas, including education, agriculture, and tribal rights. Meanwhile, Congress has pledged 250 units of free electricity, a caste-based census, and filling all vacant government positions within a year. Both parties are part of the INDIA bloc, along with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI(ML).