By IANS,
Ranchi : Around 67 percent electorate cast their votes while one Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was killed amid Maoist violence in the fifth and final phase of the panchayat polls in Jharkhand Friday, officials said.
“One CRPF personnel was killed and three were injured in a landmine blast near Nagratonagra village. The landmine was triggered when security personnel were passing over a bridge,” a police spokesperson told IANS.
In another incident, two policemen were injured in a gun battle with Maoists in Giridih district’s Chirkinala village, around 170 km from here.
In the third incident, “Maoists set afire three vehicles and disrupted balloting at a polling booth in Garwah district,” Jharkhand police spokesperson R.K. Mallik told IANS.
The highest of 71 percent polling was recorded in Ranchi and the lowest was recorded in West Singhbhum district with 58 percent.
The final phase began amid tight security arrangements at 7 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. Voting took place for 242 panchayats spread over 14 blocks of five districts. A total 10,262 candidates are in the fray.
The five-phase panchayat elections began Nov 27. The last panchayat polls were held in 1979 when the areas that make up Jharkhand were part of Bihar. The state was carved out from Bihar Nov 15, 2000, but panchayat polls were delayed due to a legal battle over reservations for tribals.