Polling for the Jharkhand Assembly elections has begun, with 43 of its 81 seats going to vote in Phase 1 today.The seats are primarily located in the tribal-dominated South Chotanagpur, northern Palamu and Kolhan regions. Of the seats voting today, 20 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and six for Scheduled Castes (SCs). Two of these – Chatra and Simaria – are located in the state’s most backward district, also called Chatra.The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a member of the opposition’s INDIA bloc, will face off against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The NDA allies in Jharkhand Assembly polls are All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and Janata Dal (United), while the INDIA bloc is epresented by JMM, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Left parties.Meanwhile, polls are underway in Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat and West Bengal. Kerala’s Wayanad witnesses Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s electoral debut.
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