Maoists blow up landmine in poll-bound Jharkhand

Medininagar (Jharkhand), Dec 18 (ANI): As Jharkhand geared up for the fifth and final phase of the five-phased Jharkhand assembly elections on Friday, a policeman got injured at Mahur here in a landmine blast detonated by suspected Maoists.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Jatin Narwal said that a policeman belonging to the Jharkhand Armed Police received fragment injuries in the landmine explosion while patrolling the area.

The injured policeman has been admitted to a nearby hospital, he added.

Mahur belongs to Hussainabad Assembly constituency and it is among the 16 constituencies where polling is on.

The polling for the fifth and final phase of the five-phased Jharkhand assembly elections began amidst tight security on Friday morning.

Tight security arrangements have been made, as there are chances of violence taking place in the Maoist-dominated areas.

Around 75,000 security personnel and six helicopters have been pressed into service for the peaceful conduct of polls.

A total of 290 candidates are in the fray with nearly 3.5 million voters to cast votes between 7 am to 3 pm.

The constituencies going for polls are Chatra, Latehar, Simaria, Panki, Bishrampur, Hussainabad, Chhatarpur, Garhwa, Bhawnathpur, Manika, Chaibasa, Barkatha, Jagannathpur, Sareikella, Kharsawan and Daltonganj.

Of the 81 Assembly seats in all, polling for 65 has already been completed in the four previous phases.

In the first phase of polling held on November 25, 53.1 per cent of the voters had cast their votes, followed by 58.8 per cent voting in the second phase on December 2 and 57.2 per cent in the third phase on December 7.

Counting of votes will be held on December 23. (ANI)