A total 64.84 per cent of 2.98 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the by-election to Dumri assembly seat in Jharkhand on Tuesday, an official of the Election Commision said.
The polling percentage was slightly less than in 2019 when 69.74 per cent of the electorate cast their votes.
'The election passed off peacefully across 199 polling booths in Giridih and 174 booths in Bokaro district. No report of violence or law and order situation was reported from anywhere,' Giridih district election officer Naman Priyesh Lakra told PTI.
The polling was held amidst tight security in 373 polling stations, 200 of which were identified to be Maoist affected area. The Jharkhand Armed Police and CRPF were deployed to ensure peaceful polling, the polling official said.
The voters braved intermittent rains and queued up at the polling booths to decide the fate of six candidates, including three independents. The ruling JMM CANDIDATE supported by the INDIA bloc and Ajsu Party contestant supported by the opposition NDA are in the fray for the seat.
The percentage of votes cast by women was far more than that cast by men. "The voting by women was recorded at 72.76 and that by men was 57.44,” he said.
Glitches in EVMs and VVPATS were reported from few places and they were replaced immediately without affecting polling, he said.
The EVMs have been transported to a strong room in Giridih, he said. The counting will be held on September 8.
The by-poll was necessitated by the death of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA and former state education minister Jagarnath Mahto. He had been representing the seat since 2004.
Earlier in the day Chief Minister Hemant Soren urging the people to exercise their franchise, posted on X: "Today there is an election in Dumri to empower those who protect Jharkhandi pride. Today is the election to honour the one who dedicates himself to his people. Today Dumri will choose its future and will always fight for the protection of Jharkhand and Jharkhandi. Today in Dumri democracy will once again defeat the money system".
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling UPA has 47 MLAs -- JMM 29, Congress 17 and RJD one. The BJP has 26 members and AJSU Party three. The NCP and CPI (ML) have one lawmaker each, apart from two Independents.