Your complete guide to Jharkhand Assembly polls 2014

The five-phased Assembly Elections in Jharkhand will begin on November 25. The model code of conduct in the 82 member assembly state has came into effect. The results for the same will be declared on December 23.

Here are some facts:

• Total Assembly seats: 81 seats

• Total electorate: 1,99,48,683 (Men 1,05,08,420, women 94,40,237, Third Gender- 26)

• Total candidates: 123 (Women candidates: 2)

• Constituency with highest voters: Bokaro (462250)

• Constituency with the lowest voters: Jagarnathpur (152233).

• Constituency with highest number of polling stations: Bokaro - 466

• Lowest number of polling stations: Jagarnathpur - 177

• Total polling stations: 24,648

Dates for five-phase polling

• First phase: 25 November

• Second phase: 2 December

• Third phase: 9 December

• Fourth phase: 14 December

• Fifth phase: 20 December

The main parties in poll fray are:

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren

• Indian National Congress (INC)

• Communist Party of India (CPI)

• Janata Dal (United) JD(U)

• RashtriyaJanata Dal (RJD)

• Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM)

Some facts at a glance:

• The Jharkhand Legislative Assembly consists of 82 seats amongst which 81 are directly elected and one seat is nominated.

• Within a period of 15 years i.e. between 2000 and 2014 the state has seen 9 chief ministers.

• This shows that the state is politically unstable as no government has been able to complete its tenure of 5 years.

• President's Rule was imposed in the state three times.

• The state has a sizeable population of Adivasis (tribal people).

• The state has 14 Parliamentary seats.

• Unlike UP and Bihar, the state has quite a huge number of political parties.

Issues of the state:

• Naxalism:

Jharkhand is one of the 13 states in the country where Naxalites have a major influence. Almost 18 out of 24 districts of the state is infested by Maoist menace. The state has witnessed the loss of countless lives in violence. Due to this menace, the state despite being rich with mineral resources has not developed. Hence, poverty is the biggest problem in the state.

• Development:

Before it achieving the status of a full-fledged state, Jharkhand was known for its educational infrastructure but it failed to open even a single state-of-the-art institute. That is the reason why every political party, this time, is talking about development and economic stability to woo voters.

Assembly Election 2009:

• Last Assembly polls in the state were held in 2009.

• JMM and BJP emerged as the largest party in the polls by winning 18 seats each.

• Congress was on second place with 14 seats.

• Babulal Marandi's JVM won 11 while RJD won 5.

• Others got 15 seats.

• The incumbent BJP-JD(U) alliance (NDA) failed to secure clear majority and JMM emerged as the king maker.

• Finally, a compromise formula was worked out between the NDA and the JMM. These two with the help of independents and other minor parties, ran the government between Sept 2010 and Jan 2013.

• After BJP and JD(U) parted ways the government couldn't function anymore and President's Rule was imposed in the state.

• After six months, Congress and JMM sealed an alliance and Hemant Soren became ninth CM of Jharkhand.

Lok Sabha Election 2014:

• Out of 14 Parliamentary seats, BJP won 12 and JMM two.

• The Congress and RJD, JD(U) could not even open their account in the state.