Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren’s wife, Kalpana Soren, cast her vote in Ranchi during the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections on Saturday. She voted at the designated polling booth at St. Francis School in Ranchi, Jharkhand’s capital city.
After casting her vote, she urged voters to come out and exercise their franchise to protect democracy and the Constitution. “Today, I exercised my right to vote by participating in this great festival of elections for the massive victory of justice over injustice. An appeal to all of you is to reach your polling booth in large numbers and exercise your right to vote to protect democracy and the Constitution. If Hemant is there then there is courage. Jharkhand will not bow down, INDIA will not stop,” she said.
In a previous appeal to voters, Kalpana Soren mentioned the winds of change sweeping the country. “The winds of change that are blowing in the country have not happened due to the hard work of any leader or political party but due to the people. The people who are troubled by injustice, lies, exploitation and oppression are voting for their inclusive, bright and secure future. Today is the sixth phase of the total 7 phases of elections being held in the country. Today in Jharkhand too, the people of Giridih, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and Ranchi Lok Sabha constituencies will vote for the massive victory of justice over injustice and to protect their rights,” she said.
Notably, the JMM is part of the INDIA bloc and is contesting elections in alliance with the Congress in Jharkhand and Odisha. From the Ranchi Lok Sabha constituency, the JMM-Congress-led bloc has fielded Yashaswini Sahay, while the BJP-led NDA has fielded Sanjay Seth, who is seeking a second term.
Voting for the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections began on Saturday morning across 58 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs), amid tight security and arrangements. The voting started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still allowed to vote.
The sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls includes eight seats in Bihar, all 10 seats in Haryana, one seat in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Jharkhand, all seven seats in Delhi, six in Odisha, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and eight in West Bengal. A total of 889 candidates are in the fray.
According to Election Commission data, Jharkhand recorded a 27.80 percent voter turnout by 11 am. The four seats in Jharkhand undergoing elections in the sixth phase are Ranchi, Dhanbad, Giridih, and Jamshedpur. In 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 12 seats in Jharkhand, with the BJP alone winning 11. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress secured one seat each.
The general elections are being held in seven phases, with the counting scheduled for June 4.