Voting has started today for the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, with polls opening at 7 a.m. across 43 constituencies. Out of the 15,344 polling stations set up for this phase, voting will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 950 constituencies, while in 11 key constituencies, voting will continue until 5 p.m.

The extended voting hours are allotted for constituencies like Koderma, Barkatha, Barhi, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, Majhgaon, Ranchi, Hatia, Panki, and Bhawanathpur, where turnout is expected to be significant.

Prominent candidates in this phase include former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, Geeta Koda—wife of ex-Chief Minister Madhu Koda—and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji. The main contest in this phase pits the NDA against the INDIA Bloc. In the 2019 elections, the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance claimed 25 of these seats, while the BJP secured 13. The remaining seats went to Independents, NCP, and JVM. This time, both alliances are focused on gaining more ground, with the NDA seeking to improve its tally and the INDIA Bloc aiming to strengthen its foothold.

Several high-stakes battles are underway, with six ministers and notable leaders contesting in this phase. Champai Soren, a veteran leader, is vying for the Saraikela seat, where he has been a dominant force since 1991, losing only once in 2000. This time, Soren faces Ganesh Mahali of the JMM, creating an interesting dynamic as both candidates have switched sides since the last election.

In Lohardaga, Congress Minister Rameshwar Oraon is up against AJSU's Neeru Shanti Bhagat. With the BJP and AJSU now allied, Oraon faces a challenging race.

The Garhwa constituency sees a three-way contest, with Minister Mithilesh Thakur of JMM defending his seat against BJP's Satyendra Nath Tiwari and Samajwadi Party’s Girinath Singh, both former MLAs from this region.

In Jamshedpur West, Congress Minister Banna Gupta and former Minister Saryu Rai are locked in a close race. Rai, known for defeating then Chief Minister Raghubar Das in Jamshedpur East in 2019, has returned to his earlier seat to contest.

In Chaibasa, JMM Minister Deepak Birua faces first-time candidate Geeta Balmuchu of the BJP, who has gained significant local support due to her active social presence.

On the Ghatsila seat, JMM’s Minister Ramdas Soren faces a challenge from Babulal Soren, the son of Champai Soren, contesting for the first time with strong family backing.

The Latehar constituency is witnessing an intense face-off between JMM’s Baidyanath Ram and BJP’s Prakash Ram. Historically, voters here elect a new MLA each term, and it remains to be seen if Baidyanath can break this trend.

In Ranchi, former Speaker and BJP Minister C.P. Singh is up against JMM’s Dr. Mahua Maji, making it a high-profile race.

In Potka, BJP’s Meera Munda, wife of former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, is challenging JMM’s Sanjeev Sardar, the sitting MLA.

Geeta Koda, contesting from Jaganathpur, is up against Congress MLA Sona Ram Sinku, while Jamshedpur East sees a three-way contest with Congress spokesperson and former IPS officer Ajay Kumar, BJP’s Purnima Das Sahu, and BJP rebel Shivshankar Singh.

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