Over 8k booths to be readied for fifth phase of polls

Ranchi: A notification for Lok Sabha polls in Ranchi, Hazaribag, Khunti and Koderma parliamentary constituencies has been issued and voting in the seats will be held on May 6, Jharkhand chief electoral officer (CEO) L Khiangte said on Wednesday.
Addressing the media, Khiangte added that nomination papers of 10 candidates, including four each from Chatra and Palamu and two from Lohardaga parliamentary constituency, have been rejected during scrutiny for the first phase of election. He added that papers of 27 candidates from Chatra, 15 from Lohardaga and 20 from Palamu were found correct.

He said 64,45,424 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections for Ranchi, Hazaribag, Khunti and Koderma and 71,203 first-time voters have been enrolled to exercise their franchise. The number of transgender voters has increased by 60 times in Ranchi, seven times in Khunti, six times in Hazaribag and 15 times in Koderma compared to 2014. He said the number of voter’s has increased by 8.57% in Koderma, 12.66% in Ranchi, 5.74% in Khunti and 7.74% in Hazaribag constituencies.

Khiangte said the administrative preparations for the May 6 elections is complete and 8,834 booths — 1,312 urban and 7,522 rural — have been formed. He said 34 cases of violation of model code have been registered in the state so far while cash and other items — liquor, drugs and precious metals — worth Rs 5.04 crore have been seized in various operations.