56.58 per cent polling recorded in fourth phase of Jharkhand elections

The final polling percentage is likely to increase, they said.

Polling, which began at 7 am, went on peacefully in the constituencies spread over Giridih, Deoghar, Dhanbad and Bokaro districts, they said.

Voting ended at 3 pm in Jamua, Bagodar, Giridih, Dumri and Tundi seats while the exercise concluded at 5 pm in the remaining seats, the officials said.

The seats which went to polls in this round were Deoghar (SC), Jamua (SC), Chandankiyari (SC), Madhupur, Bagodar, Gandey, Giridih, Dumri, Bokaro, Sindri, Nirsa, Dhanbad, Jharia, Tundi and Baghmara.

Prominent among the candidates in this phase were state Labour Minister Raj Paliwar from Madhipur seat and Land and Revenue Minister Amar Kumar Bauri from Chandankiyari constituency.

Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said out of total 6,101 polling stations, 587 were marked 'critical' and 405 'sensitive' in Left Wing Extremism-affected constituencies while there were 546 'critical' and 2,655 'sensitive' polling booths in other seats.

A total of 47,85,009 voters, including 22,44,134 female and 81 third gender voters, were eligible to decide the fate of 221 nominees, including 23 women candidates.

Of the total electorate, there were 34,106 octagenarian and 66,321 differently-abled voters, the CEO said.

Webcasting was done in 2,122 polling stations while 70 booths were manned only by women polling personnel, Choubey said, adding more than one EVMs were used in four seats where there were more than 16 candidates in the fray.

Choubey said there were 9,902 ballot units, 7,628 control units and 7,931 VVPAT machines.

The ruling BJP had contested all the 15 seats that went to polls in this phase.

Its ally AJSU Party contested on its own for the first time since the creation of Jharkhand in 2000.

The opposition alliance of the JMM, the Congress and the RJD fielded candidates in constituencies as per their pre-poll seat adjustment.

Of the total 81 Assembly seats, elections to 50 seats concluded in the first three phases held between November 30 and December 12.

The fifth and final phase of polling to 16 seats will be held on December 20 and votes will be counted on December 23.