New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) The Election Commission Monday announced that polls in the Barakattha assembly constituency in Jharkhand will now be held Dec 18 after elections were countermanded following the death of one of the candidates.
The election for the assembly seat was to be held Dec 2 - the second phase of the staggered polls. The first phase of the elections are to be held Nov 25. The fifth and final phase will be held Dec 18. Counting of votes is slated for Dec 23.

Barakattha election was countermanded Sunday after sitting legislator and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Chitranjan Yadav, 50, died. Yadav was admitted to a Ranchi hospital following chest pain.

The returning officer for Barakattha Sunday adjourned the poll and sought the Election Commission’s direction, said a statement issued here.

The commission has asked the BJP to nominate another candidate within seven days - Dec 1.

“The scrutiny of nomination will be done on Dec 2. Last date of withdrawal of candidature will be Dec 4. The date of poll for the constituency will now be Dec 18,” said the statement.

“This means that the poll in Barakattha will now be held along with the fifth phase of the poll in the state,” it added.

Yadav was among the 17 candidates from the Barakattha constituency.