Tight security for fourth phase of Jharkhand polls Saturday
December 11th, 2009 - 7:22 pm ICT by IANSRanchi, Dec 11 (IANS) Security has been enhanced for the fourth phase of Jharkhand assembly elections Saturday as all the 14 seats that go to the hustings are in areas where the Maoist wield considerable influence, police said Friday.
“We will provide security to both polling officials and people. Since the first phase, we are trying to provide security to both the voters and the polling officials,” V.H. Deshmukh, Jharkhand police spokesperson, told IANS.
“Four helicopters have also been pressed into services for polling,” he said.
The seats that go poll Saturday are Bahragora, Ghatsila, Potka, Ichagarh, Majhgaon, Manoharpur, Torpa, Sisai, Chakradharpur, Gumla, Bishunpur, Simdega, Kolebira and Lohardaga.
There are 81 seats in the state assembly.
According to police, officials will be airlifted to polling stations situated in remote jungle areas.
Security personnel avoid roads in forested stretches as the Maoists plant landmines.
Of the 14 seats, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). The fate of 233 candidates will be decided by 2,462,850 voters.
The key candidates in the fourth phase are jailed former minister Enos Ekka fighting on Jharkhand Party (JP) ticket, Jharkhand Congress state president Pradeep Balmuchu and former deputy chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) nominee Sudhir Mahto.
The last phase polling will take place Dec 18. Counting of votes will take place Dec 23.
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- Almost 60 percent polling in Jharkhand's fourth phase (Second Lead) - Dec 12, 2009
- Over 50 percent polling in Jharkhand's fourth phase (Lead) - Dec 12, 2009
- Jharkhand witnesses 50 percent voting in fourth phase - Dec 12, 2009
- Jharkhand witnesses 28 to 30 percent voting till noon - Dec 12, 2009
- Jharkhand all set to stage fourth phase of assembly poll - Dec 11, 2009
- Jharkhand witnesses 58 percent voting in fourth phase (Jharkhand election update) - Dec 12, 2009
- Campaigning ends for fourth phase of Jharkhand polls - Dec 10, 2009
- Round four of Jharkhand polls - a factfile - Dec 11, 2009
- Top leaders address rallies in Jharkhand for third phase - Dec 06, 2009
- Jharkhand Campaign for 3rd phase intensifies - Dec 04, 2009
- High voter turnout in Jharkhand so far despite Maoist boycott call - Dec 14, 2009
- Voting in two Jharkhand booths monitored live - Dec 12, 2009
- Rahul Gandhi arrives in Ranchi for poll campaigning - Dec 04, 2009
- Campaigning ends for fifth phase of Jharkhand polls - Dec 16, 2009
Tags: assembly elections, deputy chief minister, deshmukh, fourth phase, hustings, jungle areas, landmines, maoist, maoists, mukti, police officials, police spokesperson, polling stations, pradeep, ranchi, security personnel, state assembly, state president, sudhir, tight security