12.01% in final phase of Jharkhand polls till 9 a.m

Ranchi:Jharkhand recorded 12.01 per cent voting till 9 a.m. in the fifth and final phase of polling that began on Friday for 16 Assembly constituencies, an official said.

The polling began at 7 a.m. for 16 seats located in Santhal Pargana region of the state. The highest voting has been recorded at Mahgama seat with 15.79 per cent.

There are a total of 237 candidates including 29 women aspirants whose fate will be decided by 40,05,287 voters.

Among the 16 seats, seven are reserved for Scheduled Tribes including Borio, Barhet, Littipada, Mahespur, Shikaripada, Dumka and Jama while others including Rajmahal, Pakur, Nala, Jamtara, Jarmundi, Mahgama, Poriyahaat, Sarath and Godda are in general category. A maximum of 26 candidates were in the Jarmundi seat while only seven candidates are in the race on Poriyahaat seat.

The 16 seats are spread across Sahebganj, Pakur, Dumka, Jamtara, Deoghar and Godda district. Among these seats voting will be held on five seats - Borio, Barhet, Littipada, Mahespur and Shikaripada till 3 p.m. and in the remaining 11 seats voting will conclude at 5 p.m.

The key candidates include state ministers Raj Paliwar, Louis Marandi and Randhir Singh.

Chief ministerial candidate of Congress, JMM and RJD, Hemant Soren is contesting assembly polls from Dumka and Barhet.