| All is set for the second phase of polling in Jharkhand, scheduled to take place tomorrow (20 November). Voting will occur across 38 constituencies in 12 districts between 7 AM and 5 PM. Over 1.23 crore voters are expected to cast their ballots, determining the fate of 528 candidates, including 55 women.
Prominent figures in this phase include Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto, and State BJP President Babulal Marandi. Other key contenders include Opposition leader Amarnath Kumar Bauri, AJSU President Sudesh Kumar Mahto, and Kalpana Soren. Four sitting ministers—Irfan Ansari, Hafizul Hasan, Deepika Pandey Singh, and Bebi Devi—are also in the fray, making this phase particularly significant.
The phase is seen as crucial for both the NDA and the I.N.D.I.A bloc, as it covers constituencies pivotal to their electoral fortunes.
A total of 14,218 polling booths have been set up, with 7,000 identified as critical from a security perspective. To ensure smooth and secure polling, 600 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive areas.
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