Stage set for poll counting in Jharkhand tomorrow

RANCHI: All arrangements are in place for tomorrow's counting for 81 seats to decide the fate of the third Assembly polls in Jharkhand, where two previous ones threw up hung verdicts.

The updated 66.47 per cent voter turnout in the 2014 polls was a record for both Lok Sabha and assembly elections held in the state since it was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000.

This election will give the state, which has been dogged by political uncertainty since its birth its tenth government in 14 years.

"All arrangements have been made for the counting at 24 centres across the state," an EC official said here today.

"The process will begin at 7 AM," he added. Chief Minister Hemant Soren (Dumka/Barhait) and ex chief ministers Arjun Munda (Kharsawan), Madhu Koda (Majhgaon) and Babulal Marandi (Dhanwar/Giridih) are among the total 1,136 candidates, including 111 women, whose fates will be known tomorrow.

Other prominent candidates in the fray were Speaker Shashank Sekhar Bhokta (Sarath), ex-Speaker C P Singh (Ranchi) and all the ministers in the Hemant Soren cabinet, besides several sitting MLAs and ex-ministers.

Front runners BJP, which contested in 72 seats, have a pre-poll alliance with the Ajsu party which was in the fray in eight seats, Lok Janshakti party in one seat. The main contender is the ruling JMM which contested in 79 seats.

JMM's alliance partners Congress contested in 62 seats, RJD in 22 and JDU in 11. Despite their pre-poll alliance, the three partners clashed in some of the constituencies.

This is the third assembly elections in Jharkhand in its 14 years of its existence but the state has seen nine governments interspersed with three periods of central rule.

The other two polls were held in 2005 and 2009 and both voted in hung assemblies.

The first government was a BJP-ruled one and the assembly polls had held in February 2000 when Jharkhand was still part of undivided Bihar. After its formation the party in majority in the new state formed the government.

The state has so far been ruled by five tribal Chief Ministers -- Babulal Marandi, Arjun Munda (thrice), Shibu Soren (thrice), Madhu Koda (once) and Hemant Soren (once and incumbent) during the period.