New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters, especially the first-time voters, to cast their votes with "full enthusiasm" as the Jharkhand's assembly polls started on Wednesday.
In a social media post on X, "Today is the first round of voting in the Jharkhand assembly elections. I urge all voters to vote with full enthusiasm in this festival of democracy. On this occasion, my heartiest congratulations to all my young friends who are going to vote for the first time! Remember: "First vote then refreshment.".
Out of the 81-member state legislative assembly in Jharkhand, voting on 43 assembly constituencies is taking place.
The 43 constituencies include 17 general seats, 20 reserved for scheduled tribes, and six for scheduled castes.
The remaining 38 seats will vote in phase two polling on November 20.
A total of 638 candidates, including 73 women, are contesting for 43 seats in the first phase.
In the previous assembly election, Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won 30 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 25 and Congress bagged 16 seats. A coalition of the JMM, Congress, and the RJD formed the government after the last Assembly elections, with Hemant Soren becoming the chief minister.
