Ranchi, Dec 18 (IANS) The fifth and final phase of electiosn to the Jharkhand assembly Friday, marred by deaths of two security men in violence, saw 58.12 percent voter turnout, an election official here said.
Two other security personnel were injured and two schools were blown up by Maoist guerrillas.

“In the fifth phase of Jharkhand polls, 58.12 percent polling took place. The highest polling was recorded in two assembly constituencies Bhavanathpur and Batkathha with 63 percent, while the lowest took place at Chattarpur with 48 percent,” Ashok Kumar Sinha, state Joint Election Commissioner, told reporters.

“Two security personnel were killed and two were injured in separate landmine blasts. Barring minor incidents, we have succeeded in conducting peaceful polling in Jharkhand,” state police spokesperson V.H. Deshmukh told IANS.

Maoist rebels triggered landmines in two places and blew up two schools and a small bridge. The first blast took place near Mahur village in Palamau district, killing head constable Satyendra Singh and injuring two security personnel.

The second landmine blast took place at Chhota Nagra village in West Singhbhum district, in which one police official was killed.

A government high school under Gomia police station in Bokaro district was blown up late Thursday in another incident. Seven rooms of the school were damaged. Polling was held in Gomia Dec 8.

Another school was blasted in Kawal village in Palamau district. Maoist rebels also blew up a small bridge near Kahkula and Seriyar villages in Palamau district.

In the fifth and last phase of polls, voting began at 7 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. for 16 of the 81 assembly constituencies. A total of 290 candidates are in the fray in this phase.

Around 75,000 security personnel, including from paramilitary forces, were deployed to ensure peaceful polling. Six helicopters were used for air surveillance, air dropping and airlifting polling officials.

The 16 constituencies where voting was held are Chatra, Latehar, Simaria, Panki, Bishrampur, Hussainabad, Chhatarpur, Garwah, Bhavnathpur, Manika, Chaibasa, Barkatha, Jagannathpur, Sarei Kella, Kharsawan and Daltonganj.

The key candidates in the last phase include jailed former minister Kamlesh Singh, another former minister facing graft charges Bhanu Pratap Sahi, and Geeta Koda, wife of former state chief minister Madhu Koda who is being investigated for a Rs.4,000 crore money laundering fraud.

Counting of votes will take place Dec 23.