J'khand polls Phase 1: Over 11% polling till 9 a.m.

Ranchi, Nov 30 (IANS) Maoist threats appear to have failed to make any impact in the first phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections underway on 13 seats on Saturday, as 13.23 per cent voting was registered in the first two hours in Latehar assembly seat where the Left insurgents had killed four policemen just a few days ago. Overall, there was around 11.02 per cent polling till 9 a.m., an Election Commission official said after polling began at 7 a.m. in Chatra, Gumla, Bishunpur, Lohardaga, Manika, Latehar, Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpour, Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur In this phase, polling is taking place in all the Maoist-affected area a voting will continue till 3 p.m. As many as 189 candidates are in the fray, whose fate will be decided by 37,83,055 voters. The maximum number of candidates -- 28 are contesting from the Bhavanthpur Assembly seat. The important candidates, whose fate will be decided in the first phase, include Jharkhand Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, Congress state chief Rameshwar Oraon and former Minister and BJP candidate Bhanu Pratap Shahi.
--IANS ns/in