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| | GEO World | | Heavy turnout in fourth phase of Jharkhand poll | Updated at: 1837 PST, Saturday, December 12, 2009
 RANCHI: More than 50 per cent of an estimated 2.5 million electorate exercised their franchise in fourth phase polling in 14 Maoist-dominated Assembly seats of Jharkhand today.
According to election office sources here, polling was by and large peaceful with no major incident reported from any area till the close of polling at 1500 hrs.
Heavy security arrangements were made in all those areas which went to poll in the 4th phase as most of them are Naxal-dominated, sources said.
Miscreants torched two offices of BJP candidate Menka Sardar under Bagbera police station in Poka Assembly seat early this morning.
Jamshedpur BJP president C Mishra said a complaint was lodged with the police.
In another incident at Ghatshila Assembly area, Maoists opened fire near booth number 161 at Maheshpur under Gurabandha police station area during polling.
Besides, the ultras exploded a car bomb behind the Dumaria block office. No casualty was reported in either of the incident, police said.
In Gumla, the rebels fired several rounds in the air near a police camp located at Kurumgarh under Chainpur police station area. Police retaliated. No one was injured.
Altogether 233 candidates were in the fray. Prominent among them are Pradesh Congress president Kumar Balmuchu in Ghatsila, former Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto(JMM) in Ichagarh, jailed former Minister Enos Ekka(Jharkhand Party) in Kolebira and Simdega and senior Congress leader Niel Tirkey in Simdega.
Official sources said security arrangements were reviewed as most of the areas were dominated by CPI(Maoists) and its splinter group People's Liberation Front of India.
According to state election commission officials, adequate forces were deployed at 3,457 polling booths.
Like the previous three phases of polling, helicopters were engaged for the aerial survey of Assembly areas. |  |
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