According to the Election Commission of India, 62.40 per cent voter turnout was reported for the second phase of the Jharkhand elections on Saturday amid a few incidents of violence.

Polling was held in seven districts namely East Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, West Singbhum, Ranchi, Khunti, Gumla, and Simdega.

As per the reports of Election Commission of India, till 5 pm, the approximate voter turnout was 62.40 per cent. The final voter turnout is awaited as it will be known after the verification and scrutiny of Presiding Officers’ diaries and other documents.

According to IANS, the Bharagora assembly witnessed the highest voter turnout with 74.44 per cent while the lowest was Jamshedpur West with 46.65 per cent turnout. Interestingly, the Jamshedpur East Assembly, from where Chief Minister Raghubar Das is a legislator, only 49.12 per cent voting was reported.

The polling for 20 Assembly seats in the second phase started at 7 am and ended at 3 pm. However, the voting in Jamshedpur East and Jamshedpur West concluded at 5 pm.

Incidents of violence were reported in which one youth was killed in police firing and three policemen were injured in the Sisai constituency of Gumla district.

After the firing incident, the polling on booth number 36 was canceled. The polling officials and security personnel left the polling centre with EVM machines.

However, the Election Commission has sought a detailed report from the Gumla district administration.

In a separate incident, it was reported that the Maoists set ablaze a bus on election duty in West Singhbhum district.

Among the key seats in the second phase of the election was Jamshedpur East seat from where Chief Minister Raghubar Das is contesting. His former cabinet colleague Saryu Rai and Congress spokesperson Gaurabh Vallabh are pitted against him.

Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon, Urban Development Minister Neelkanth Singh Munda, Water Resources Minister Ramchandra Sahis, and state BJP President Laxman Giluwa were also in the fray in the second phase.

Maoist commander Kunadan Pahan, who is in jail, contested from the Tamar Assembly seat, locked in a triangular fight with AJSU candidate Vikas Munda and former minister Gopal Krishna who is also in jail.

In the second phase, 48, 25, 038 voters were covered including 10, 492 service voters and 62, 565 People with Disability (PwD) voters. 260 candidates, including 29 females, are contesting on 20 seats in this phase.

Jharkhand went to elections from November 30 in five phases, with the second phase concluding on Saturday and the remaining three scheduled for December 12, 16, and 20.