RANCHI: In the first phase of Assembly polls to be held on Wednesday in Jharkhand, reputation of a number of senior leaders and former CMs is at stake.
Former CM Champai Soren and his son Babulal Soren are contesting from Saraikela and Ghatshila, while six cabinet ministers have kept their fingers crossed before the polling. Hot seats include Saraikela, Garhwa, Hussainabad, Ranchi, Daltonganj, Koderma, Jamshedpur East and Lohardaga.
Former Union minister and three-time CM Arjun Munda’s wife Meera Munda is contesting from Potka and Odisha Governor and former CM Raghubar Das’s daughter-in-law Purnima Das Sahu from Jamshedpur East.
In Jamshedpur (West), JD(U) candidate Saryu Roy is giving a tough contest to Congress’ Banna Gupta. In 2019, Roy, fighting as an Independent, had defeated Raghubar Das.
Congress veteran Rameshwar Oraon faces AJSU’s Shanti Bhagat in Lohardaga while JMM’s Mithilesh Thakur is locked in a contest with BJP’s Satyendra Nath Tiwary and SP’s Girinath Singh. IPS-turned-politician Arun Oraon is in the fray from Sisai, giving a challenge to JMM’s Jiga Susaran Horo. Ranchi MLA CP Singh, ministers Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta, Deepak Birua, and Ramdas Soren are contesting in phase 1.
Jamshedpur West has the highest number of candidates where 28 are in the fray. Jagannathpur reserved seat has the lowest number of candidates at 8.
Of the 43 seats that will go to polls, 17 are general, 6 reserved for SCs and 20 for STs. The biggest seat is Manika and the smallest is Ranchi. In terms of voters, the biggest seat is Hatia and smallest is Jagarnathpur.
Voting will be held from 7 am to 4 pm at 950 booths due to security reasons and till 5 pm at the remaining 14,394 booths.