Parties run door-to-door campaigns in last-ditch effort to woo J'khand voters

Ranchi: A day before the 2nd phase of polling for the Jharkhand assembly elections on Wednesday, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to reach out to voters with door-to-door canvassing and social media campaigns.

Thirty-eight assembly seats are going to polls in the second and final round, while the first phase of voting for 43 segments was held on November 13.

The ruling JMM-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are making efforts to galvanise people's support through social media posts.

The candidates and workers of different parties embarked on door-to-door canvassing since last night to woo voters.

This exercise is underway even after the election campaigns for the second phase of polling officially ended on Monday as there is no bar on seeking votes through door-to-door canvassing with up to five political workers, according to guidelines issued by the Election Commission.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is also BJP's election in-charge for Jharkhand, posted a video clip on X and appealed to voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the saffron camp on November 20.

माननीय श्री @ChouhanShivraj जी का झारखंड की बहनों के नाम संदेश।@BJP4Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/DhN6S1EjfU

— Office of Shivraj (@OfficeofSSC) November 19, 2024

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday sought people's support through a post on X.

"I am seeking your support for my work and future vision plan. Look at every scheme of my government - there is no caste-based restriction in it," Soren claimed.

नेताओं के लिए सबसे आसान होता है आपके अंदर नफ़रती भावनाओं को भड़का कर अपनी राजनीतिक महत्वाकांक्षा साधा लेना। यह कैंपेन सबसे आसान होता है और भाजपा को इसमें महारत है

पर मैं झारखंडी हूँ - हमारे संस्कार हमें ऐसा करने की इज़ाज़त नहीं देते ना मैं ऐसा करूँगा।

मेरे ख़िलाफ़ शैडो,… pic.twitter.com/niE4J1qnHa

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) November 19, 2024

He also posted a list of work that his government has done and uploaded a slew of promises which, he claimed, would be fulfilled if the JMM-led coalition retains power.

In an apparent attack on the BJP, JMM candidate and Soren's wife Kalpana posted on X, "We will choose love and development, not hatred and conspiracy. They will not be able to break the courage of us by putting Hemant ji in jail." Altogether 528 candidates, including 55 women and one belonging to the third gender, are in the fray in the 38 seats.

A total of 1.23 crore voters, including 60.79 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the voting on Wednesday.

Over 14,000 polling stations have been set up in both rural and urban areas for the second and final phase of Jharkhand assembly elections.