Jharkhand witnesses its first municipal poll

Ranchi, Mar 25 (UNI) Jharkhand today went for its first municipal polls with about 50 per cent of total 15,82,442 voters casting their franchisee.

The state, formed on November 15, 2000, had not witnessed any municipal election since then.

Officials said the polling was peaceful. However, at least 200 people were nabbed from different parts of the state while trying to disrupt the process, police added.

A company of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Jharkhand Armed Police and home guards were deployed in the state capital to avoid any intoward incident, police said.

Despite a few incidents of minor clashes among rival groups, the entire process passed off peacefully, official sources claimed.

Polling was held in 589 wards of Ranchi Municipale Corporation, 11 Nagar Parishads and 16 Nagar Parishads.

Altogether 6267 contestants were in the fray for 589 posts of ward councillors, one each for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the RMC, 27 each for post of chairman and vice-chairman of the Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayats.

The counting of votes will be done on March 27.

UNI TEAM AM PP VD GC1956