The elections spread over five phases in 13,368 gram panchayats of 77 blocks in 24 districts involving 1.43 crore electorates of Jharkhand started from Saturday after three decades despite threats from the Naxalites to disrupt the election process.
A total of 51,433 nominees of four posts – member (gram panchayat), mukhiya (gram pachayat), member (panchayat samiti), member (zilla parishad) are contesting for as many as 16,201 posts.
The overall polling percentage in the state on the first day on Saturday had been 64.7, while chief minister Arjun Munda's home district – Seraikela-Kharsawan recorded the highest turnout of 79 per cent.
Besides the Naxalite threat on the poll process, Kolhan comprising the twin districts of Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan (chief minister's home district) also stirred up and several tribal outfits boycotted the election on the ground that their age-old rights of Manki-Munda system in the region, which allowed a village head to act as a judge on petty crimes and collects revenues will be abolished.
The chief minister told Business Standard that he had great respect on the traditional rights of the tribals with the power of self-governance and he would seriously consider ways and means to uphold the empowerment of the tribals in traditional form in Kolhan region.
According to state election commission sources, turnout in several Naxalite stronghold was high. In Potka and Musabani blocks of East Singhbhum district, voting percentage was 74 and 63 percent respectively, despite a boycott call.