Ranchi: The penultimate phase of Jharkhand Assembly polls in 15 constituencies passed off peacefully today with 61.65 per cent of over 43 lakh electorate casting their ballots amidst elaborate security arrangements.
The turnout in these constituencies was 58.26 per cent in the last assembly elections whereas it was 63.82 per cent in the Lok Sabha elections, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said in Delhi at the end of polling.
Sinha said the polling today was incident-free.
Chandankyari constituency in Bokaro district recorded the highest turnout of 71.28 per cent, while the lowest turnout was recorded in Bokaro Assembly constituency -- 44.5 per cent.
Polling, which began at 7 AM in all the seats, ended at 3 PM in 13 constituencies while it concluded at 5 PM in Dhanbad and Bokaro, Chief Electoral Officer P K Jajoria told reporters here.
The 13 other seats that went to polls in this round are Madhupur, Deogarh (SC), Bagodar, Jamua (SC), Gandey, Giridih, Dumri, Chandankyari (SC), Sindri, Nirsa, Jharia, Tundi and Baghmara.
At Pirtand under Giridih Assembly constituency, Maoists posters asking voters to boycott the polls were removed, police sources said.
Giridih, which recorded 62.61 per cent turnout, is the second seat from where former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) President Babulal Marandi is contesting. He is also contesting from Dhanwar, where polling was held in the third phase on December 9.
An FIR was filed against an activist of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) at a booth in Tundi constituency for allegedly taking a party banner inside the booth, a Dhanbad report said quoting the police.
Polling for the remaining 16 seats in Jharkhand will be held in the fifth and final phase on December 20. Counting will be taken up on December 23 for the 81-member House.
