Jharkhand: Brisk voting in Maoist-affected areas despite call to boycott polls

The Maoists had put up posters and banners at the gates of a polling station in Rabanga village in Manoharpur constituency, calling upon electors to boycott the polls, and also placed an object which was suspected to be a bomb, they said.

Voting was delayed by half-an-hour as police cordoned off the area and removed the banners and posters, along with the suspicious object as sniffer dogs and a bomb squad were deployed at the spot.

Despite the incident, hundreds of voters gathered at the polling centre from the morning to cast their votes. Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said that tight security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polls.

Meanwhile, Naxals blocked a road between Haathnaburu and Dikuponga villages in Chotanagra police station area in Jagannathpur constituency with tree trunks, which were later removed by the police. The red rebels had also put up posters and banners at the spots.

Polling for 14 assembly seats in Kolhan region comprising East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts was underway in the first phase of polls in the state.

Peaceful polling was underway in Jambero, Regabeda, Komai, Gilua, Siyadih, Taramba and other villages in Maoist-affected Kuchai block in Seraikela-Kharswan district, Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Lunayat said.

Tight security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful and free and fair polls in Seraikela, Kharswan and Ichagarh assembly constituencies in the district, he said.

Till 1 pm, Ichagarh constituency recorded 50.42 per cent, Seraikela 49.10 per cent and Kharswan 53.68 per cent, he added.