The municipal government municipal elections still went on in Jharkhand on Monday with an early voter turnout of about 10 to 11 per cent as of 9 am, according to the authorities. The polling started at 7 am with a tight security setup and is to go on till 5 pm.
The state is holding the elections in various urban local bodies such as the municipal corporations, municipal councils and Nagar Panchayat areas. The citizens are voting so as to elect mayors, chairpersons and ward councillors that will assume the role of monitoring civic administration and development activities at the city and town levels.
According to the State Election Commission officials in Jharkhand, the polling exercise started in most of the districts calmly. Sensitive and hypersensitive booths have also been equipped with security personnel to maintain order and to avert any form of untoward incidents during voting. CCTV monitoring facilities and webcasting facilities have also been established in some polling stations to ensure transparency.
In the state capital, Ranchi, voters were observed to be steadily flowing into polling booths in the first few hours, even though the turnout was low in the initial two hours. Election officials reported that the turnout usually rises later in the day, particularly after mid-morning, when more residents will come out to cast their votes.
In this civic poll, more than 40 lakh eligible voters are supposed to cast their vote. The elections are very important in determining how cities are governed in Jharkhand since there are a great number of candidates that are running in different wards. The result will affect the choice regarding sanitation, road network, water supply, garbage disposal, urban development, and local taxes.
The governments have also called on citizens to be active in the democratic process. The elderly and people with disabilities have been catered to with special provisions that will enable them to access polling stations.
Although the 10-11 per cent turnout at 9 am could be regarded as low, the officials are hopeful that by the end of the day, the voting percentage will record high scores. Voting counting is anticipated to be done once the polls are over, and the outcome of the results will be used to decide the new leadership in the urban local bodies within the state.
The municipal elections are regarded as a significant move towards the deepening of grassroots democracy and increasing the accountability of the urban government all over Jharkhand.
