Four more seats sealed in Jharkhand; voter turnout 62.31%

Around 62.31 per cent of the 8.2 million registered voters exercised their franchise to choose their representatives across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, and Giridih, which went to polls in the sixth phase of the ongoing parliamentary elections on Saturday, officials said.

As per the data available till 7 pm, 62.31 per cent of voters exercised their franchise across the four seats, which is over two per cent lower compared to 2019, when the voting percentage in these seats was 64.81.

“As per the available data, the turnout in these four seats was 62.31 per cent. This is only EVM data. Postal ballot numbers would be added. Moreover, the data is being updated. A clear picture is likely by around 11:30 pm,” said chief electoral officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar.

Of the four seats, Jamshedpur led the pack with a voter turnout of 65.79 per cent, while the state capital, Ranchi, remained in fourth place with 58.73 per cent polling. Giridih recorded 65.44 per cent polling, and Dhanbad registered a 58.90 per cent turnout.

Officials said voting was conducted peacefully, including the 764 Naxal-affected polling booths. However, three cases of model code violations were registered, including two in Jamshedpur and one in the Giridih Lok Sabha constituency.

Several high-profile voters exercised their franchise on Saturday

In Ranchi, besides Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Kalpana Soren, former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, several top bureaucrats, and former India men’s cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni exercised their franchise.

In Jamshedpur, Odisha governor Raghubar Das voted along with his family members.

Including the four seats where voting was held on Saturday, elections have been concluded in 11 of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The remaining three seats, including Dumka, Rajmahal, and Godda, will go to polls in the seventh and final phase on June 1.