Lok Sabha Election Phase 7: 12.15% voter turnout recorded in 3 seats till 9 am in Jharkhand

Nearly 12.15 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 9 am in three Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand where voting is underway in the seventh phase on Saturday, officials said.

Polling began at 7 am in Dumka, Rajmahal, and Godda, and will continue till 5 pm.

Rajmahal seat registered the highest polling at 12.82 per cent, followed by Dumka (12.31) and Godda (11.46).

A total of 52 candidates, including eight women, are contesting in the final phase, the state's fourth and the seventh nationwide. Nineteen candidates each are competing in Dumka and Godda, while 14 are contesting in Rajmahal.

Around 53.23 lakh electors are eligible to cast their votes in the three constituencies, with Godda having the highest number of voters at 20.28 lakh, and Dumka the lowest at 15.91 lakh.

Over two lakh people are first-time voters in the 18-19 age group, while 439 are aged over 100 years.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar said preparations are in place to ensure free and fair polls, including sealing the borders with neighbouring Bihar and West Bengal, where polls are taking place as well.

Arrangements have been made to transport elderly citizens and persons with disabilities (PwDs) to and from the polling booths, he added.

Of the 6,258 total booths, 5,769 are in rural areas. A total of 241 booths will be managed by women, 11 by the youth, and seven by PwDs.

All eyes are on Dumka seat where BJP's Sita Soren, sister-in-law of jailed former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, is contesting against INDIA bloc's Nalin Soren.

Sita, a former three-term JMM legislator, joined the BJP just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, citing "neglect" and "isolation" by JMM after the death of her husband Durga Soren in 2009.

In Godda, BJP sitting MP Nishikant Dubey is contesting against INDIA bloc's Pradip Yadav.

The Rajmahal seat is expected to witness an interesting fight as JMM's Borio legislator Lobin Hembrom is contesting as an Independent against sitting JMM MP Vijay Hansdak. The BJP has fielded its former state president Tala Marandi for the seat.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won the Dumka and Godda seats, while the JMM secured the Rajmahal seat. The final phase of elections saw intense campaigning, including by PM Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren, and JMM leader Kalpana Soren.

Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats, BJP won 11 constituencies, while AJSU Party, Congress, and JMM won one seat each in the 2019 polls.