Amidst a Maoist call for poll boycott and a landmine blast suspected to have been triggered by the naxals killing a CISF jawan, a turn out of about 36 per cent was recorded till early afternoon today in the second phase of polling in 14 Assembly constituencies in Jharkhand.
The CISF jawan, who died in the blast in naxal-hit Giridih district, was identified as Harpal Singh, Inspector General of Police V H Deshmukh told PTI here, noting that "barring that incident, the polling is going on peacefully." The slain jawan belonged to Hoshairpur in Punjab.
The Maoists triggered the blast in Teliabahiar in Giridih when the security personnel were patrolling on foot soon after the polling began this morning, Deputy Commissioner, Giridih, Vandana Dadil said.
The polling process in three Assembly segments in Giridih district, however, was not affected by the violence.
In a separate incident in Giridih, the Maoists blew up a culvert at Matiobera, according to police sources.
Altogether 30,96,854 people are eligible to vote in Tamar, Silli, Khijri, Mandar, Gomia, Gandey, Giridih, Dumri, Barhi, Mandu, Barkagaon, Ramgarh, Kodarma and Khunti --- all of which have a strong Maoist presence.
Former ministers Bandhu Tirkey (Independent, Mandar), Chandraprakash Choudhary (Ajsu Party, Ramgarh) and Sudesh Mahato (Ajsu Party, Silli) are among the 259 candidates trying their luck.
The five-stage polling in Jharkhand will conclude on December 18.
