Counting of votes in Assembly by-elections in Jharkhand has begun and the process is expected to be completed by 3 pm. In the eastern state, counting is taking place in two assembly seats-- Dumka and Bermo.
Votes will be counted in 18 rounds in Dumka and 17 rounds in Bermo seat in Bokaro district, Joint state Chief Electoral Officer Hiralal Mandal said on Monday. The fate of 12 candidates in Dumka and 16 nominees in Bermo will be decided today. Around 62.51 percent of total 5.63 lakh voters had exercised their franchise in the by-elections to the two seats.
Get all the updates on Dumka and Bermo assembly constituencies by-election results here:
-At 10:40 am, Lois Marandi from BJP is leading on Dumka seat, while Congress' Kumar Jaimangal (Anup Singh) has gained lead on Bermo seat.
-At 10:00 am, Election Commission of India (ECI) official data shows BJP leading in both seats in Jharkhand where early trends are out.
-Counting of votes polled in the November 3 by-elections to Dumka and Bermo assembly seats in Jharkhand commenced at 8 am on Tuesday amid elaborate security arrangements, election officials said.
-The by-elections are expected to be a direct contest between the BJP and the ruling JMM-Congress alliance.
-The electoral contest in Dumka is expected to be between Chief Minister Hemant Soren's younger brother Basant Soren of the JMM and former cabinet minister Lois Marandi of the BJP.
-The bypolls in Dumka will be interesting as both JMM and BJP have won it in the past. Soren had defeated then Minister Louis Marandi in the 2019 Assembly polls whereas Marandi had defeated Soren in the 2014 poll battle. Soren had lost in Dumka in 2014 even though he was the chief minister.
-The fight in Bermo is also likely to be a direct contest between Jaimangal alias Anup Singh of the Congress, the son of sitting MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh whose death necessitated the by-election, and Yogeshwar Mahato of the BJP.
-By-election to the constituency was necessitated after the chief minister vacated the seat and retained his other Barhait seat. He had defeated Marandi in Dumka in last year's assembly elections.