Jharkhand heads into the first phase of its Assembly elections tomorrow, with polling across 43 constituencies. Voters will decide the fate of 683 candidates, including several notable political figures from both the incumbent INDIA and Opposition NDA alliances. This initial phase is crucial in shaping the political future for the state, as top leaders from parties such as BJP, Congress, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) contest key seats.

Over 1.37 crore eligible voters, including 6.51 lakh young electors aged 18-19, will cast their votes across 15,344 polling stations. Among these stations, 1,152 will be managed exclusively by women, while 24 will be overseen by individuals with disabilities, and 23 will be managed by youth teams. Of the polling stations, 12,716 are in rural areas and 2,628 are urban. With this setup, the state is keen on ensuring smooth and accessible voting.

43 Assembly Constituencies in Phase 1

1. Kodarma
2. Barkatha
3. Barhi
4. Barkagaon
5. Hazaribagh
6. Simaria (SC)
7. Chatra (SC)
8. Baharagora
9. Ghatsila (ST)
10. Potka (ST)
11. Jugsalai (SC)
12. Jamshedpur East
13. Jamshedpur West
14. Ichagarh
15. Seraikella (ST)
16. Chaibasa (ST)
17. Majhgaon (ST)
18. Jaganathpur (ST)
19. Manoharpur (ST)
20. Chakradharpur (ST)
21. Kharsawan (ST)
22. Tamar (ST)
23. Torpa (ST)
24. Khunti (ST)
25. Ranchi
26. Hatia
27. Kanke (SC)
28. Mandar (ST)
29. Sisai (ST)
30. Gumla (ST)
31. Bishunpur (ST)
32. Simdega (ST)
33. Kolebira (ST)
34. Lohardaga (ST)
35. Manika (ST)
36. Latehar (SC)
37. Panki
38. Daltonganj
39. Bishrampur
40. Chhatarpur (SC)
41. Hussainabad
42. Garhwa
43. Bhawanathpur

Key Contests

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren of the BJP is defending his Seraikella seat against JMM’s Ganesh Mahli. Champai, who became chief minister earlier this year after Hemant Soren’s arrest, faces a critical race as he aims to secure his position once again.

In Jamshedpur East, Congress candidate Ajoy Kumar is pitted against Purnima Das Sahu, the daughter-in-law of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, who is now the Governor of Odisha. Meanwhile, state health minister Banna Gupta of the Congress takes on JD(U)’s Saryu Roy in Jamshedpur West; Roy defeated Raghubar Das in 2019, adding intrigue to this contest.

Other prominent races include BJP’s Geeta Koda, wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, challenging Congress’s Sona Ram Sinku in Jagannathpur, while JMM’s Mahua Maji contests the Ranchi seat against BJP’s CP Singh.

Jharkhand Elections Phase 1: Facts at a glance

Total ACs: 43

Polling Date: November 13th

Total Electors ~1.37 Crores

Male Electors ~68.73 Lakh

Female Electors ~68.36 Lakh

Third Gender Electors ~303

85+ Electors ~ 63,601

PWD Electors ~1.91 Lakh

18-19 Years Electors ~6.51 Lakh

Total Polling Stations (PS): 15,344

Rural PS 12,716

Urban PS 2,628

Unique PS 50

All Women Managed PS 1,152

PWD Managed PS 24

Youth Managed 23

Total Candidates 683

Male Candidates 609

Female Candidates 73

Others 01