Medininagar (Jharkhand):As Jharkhand geared up for the fifth and final phase of the five-phased Jharkhand assembly elections on Friday, a policeman got injured at Mahur here in a landmine
blast detonated by suspected Maoists. Superintendent of Police (SP) Jatin Narwal
said that a policeman belonging to the Jharkhand Armed Police received fragment
injuries in the landmine explosion while patrolling the area. The injured policeman
has been admitted to a nearby hospital, he added. Mahur belongs to Hussainabad
Assembly constituency and it is among the 16 constituencies where polling is on.
The polling for the fifth and final phase of the five-phased Jharkhand assembly
elections began amidst tight security on Friday morning. Tight security arrangements
have been made, as there are chances of violence taking place in the Maoist-dominated
areas. Around 75,000 security personnel and six helicopters have been pressed
into service for the peaceful conduct of polls. A total of 290 candidates are
in the fray with nearly 3.5 million voters to cast votes between 7 am to 3 pm.
The constituencies going for polls are Chatra, Latehar, Simaria, Panki, Bishrampur,
Hussainabad, Chhatarpur, Garhwa, Bhawnathpur, Manika, Chaibasa, Barkatha, Jagannathpur,
Sareikella, Kharsawan and Daltonganj. Of the 81 Assembly seats in all, polling
for 65 has already been completed in the four previous phases. In the first phase
of polling held on November 25, 53.1 per cent of the voters had cast their votes,
followed by 58.8 per cent voting in the second phase on December 2 and 57.2 per
cent in the third phase on December 7. Counting of votes will be held on December
23.
