MUMBAI, Nov 20: Voting is currently underway for the second phase of Assembly Elections in Jharkhand and the single-phase election in Maharashtra, with robust security measures in place to ensure a smooth polling process.
In Jharkhand, voting is being held in 38 constituencies across 12 districts. Polling began at 7 AM and will conclude at 5 PM, although in 31 Naxal-affected booths, voting will end at 4 PM due to security concerns. A total of 528 candidates are contesting in this phase. Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand, K. Ravi Kumar, urged voters to cast their ballots without fear. Tight security arrangements have been made, with central paramilitary forces deployed at each polling booth. In addition, inter-district borders have been sealed, and a joint operation has been launched along the borders with Bihar and West Bengal to prevent infiltration by anti-social elements. Helicopters have been stationed to respond to any emergencies.
In Maharashtra, elections for all 288 Assembly seats are being held in a single phase. Voting began at 7 AM and will continue until 6 PM. A total of 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independent contenders, are in the fray. The state’s Chief Electoral Officer, S. Chokalingam, reported that around five lakh polling personnel are managing 104,427 polling stations. By-elections are also being held for the Nanded Parliamentary constituency and 15 Assembly seats across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Uttarakhand. The vote count for all states will take place on Saturday.
In Maharashtra, 1,00,427 polling stations have been set up for the state’s 9.70 crore voters, with Pune district having the highest number of stations, followed by Mumbai Suburban, Thane, Nashik, and Nagpur. Notably, 426 polling stations are being managed exclusively by women. Live webcasting will be conducted at 67,557 polling stations, and all stations are equipped with ramps and wheelchairs to assist elderly and differently-abled voters. The state has also provided transport facilities for these voters. In urban areas like Pune, Mumbai, and Thane, polling stations have been set up in high-rise buildings and housing societies, while 210 stations are located in slum areas. Special attention has been given to tribal constituencies and remote regions such as Gadchiroli, Gondia, Nandurbar, Dhule, and Amravati, where the number of polling stations has been increased.
To ensure a peaceful election, over 2 lakh personnel, including officers from the Home Guard, Civil Defence, Central Armed Police Forces, State Armed Police Forces, and State Reserve Police Forces, have been deployed by the Maharashtra Police.
