Ranchi, Dec 18 (IANS) Two security personnel were injured in a landmine blast and a school was blown up by as voting for the fifth and final phase of Jharkhand assembly polls began Friday amid violence by Maoists in several areas.
Two security personnel were injured around 6.30 a.m. when Maoist rebels detonated a landmine blast near Mahur village in Palamau district, Jharkhand police spokesperson V.H. Deshmukh told IANS.

In another incident, a government high school under Gomia police station in Bokaro district was blasted late Thursday. Seven rooms of the school were damaged in the blast. Polling concluded in Gomia Dec 8.

In the fifth and last phase of polls, voting began at 7 a.m. in 16 of the 81 assembly seats. In this phase, a total of 290 candidates are in the fray.

Around 75,000 security forces, including paramilitary forces, have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling. Six helicopters are also being used for air surveillance. The 16 seats where voting is taking place are Chatra, Lathear, Simaria, Panki, Bishrampur, Hussainabad, Chhatarpur, Garwah, Bhavnathpur, Manika, Chaibasa, Barkatha, Jagannathpur, Sareikella, Kharsawan and Daltonganj.

The key candidates in the last phase include ex-minister Kamlesh Singh and Geeta Koda, wife of former state chief minister Madhu Koda.

Counting of votes will take place Dec 23.