Jharkhand Assembly Elections To Take Place In Five Phases Between Nov. 30-Dec. 20

The Election Commission announced five-phase assembly elections in Jharkhand between Nov. 30 and Dec. 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for Dec. 23.

Making the announcement, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the polls will be held in the Naxalism-affected state on Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 12, 16 and 20. The assembly polls to the 81-member assembly in the state were held in five phases as well in 2014.

The Bhartiya Janata Party is in power in the state and an alliance of opposition parties, mainly the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, is making a determined bid to oust the government headed by Chief Minister Raghubar Das.