In a vibrant display of civic engagement, Jharkhand’s urban local body elections on Monday saw an impressive overall voter turnout of 61.83% by 5 PM across 48 municipal bodies. Leading the pack was Saraikela Nagar Panchayat in Saraikela-Kharsawan district with a stellar 75.35% participation, while Ranchi Municipal Corporation recorded the lowest at 43.28%.
State Election Commissioner Alka Tiwari revealed that final figures could climb higher as counts are finalized. Smaller towns shone brightly: Basukinath Nagar Panchayat in Dumka hit 74.18%, Bundu in Ranchi district reached 74%, and Chakulia in East Singhbhum notched 72.90%.
This trend underscores a clear urban-rural divide in enthusiasm. Larger cities trailed: Medininagar Municipal Corporation at 57.41%, Deoghar at 52.92%, Dhanbad at 48%, Chas in Bokaro at 49.76%, and Hazaribagh at 49.9%. Giridih Municipal Corporation topped the civic bodies with 60%.
Among Nagar Parishads, Chatra led with 68%, while Sahibganj lagged at 57.58%. Most others hovered around or above 60%, signaling robust participation in mid-sized towns.
Polling kicked off briskly across 4,307 booths. From 10.50% at 9 AM, turnout surged to 23.23% by 11 AM, 37.44% by 1 PM, 50.61% by 3 PM, and 61.83% by 5 PM. Experts hail this as encouraging for urban polls, reflecting growing democratic fervor despite urban apathy in metros.