67.78% voter turnout in East Singhbhum, Congress confident of victory

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Nov 16: The first phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections saw significant voter participation in East Singhbhum, with a total turnout of 67.78%. The highest voter turnout was in Baharagora, where 79.28% of eligible voters cast their ballots, while Ghatsila recorded a turnout of 75.83%, and Potka saw 73.55%. However, Jamshedpur East and West had lower participation, with 57.86% and 56.82%, respectively.

Congress supporters, especially those backing Jamshedpur West candidate Banna Gupta, are already claiming victory. “Our candidate’s win is certain, based on strong voter turnout and our ground-level equations,” said a core committee member. They noted that there was an increase in voting in both rural and urban areas, with a higher presence compared to the last election.

In the previous election, Gupta secured 50.8% of the vote, defeating his opponent by a significant margin. This time, Congress claims that their core voters, particularly from Muslim-majority areas like Azadnagar and Shastrinagar, as well as regions like Sonari-Kadma and the Marwari community, are strongly supporting Gupta. Additionally, improvements in infrastructure, such as the construction of the flyover and MGM hospital, are expected to boost Gupta’s vote count by approximately 6,000 to 7,000 votes, according to Congress sources.

Despite the enthusiasm in rural areas, the relatively low turnout in Jamshedpur East and West has raised concerns, but Congress remains optimistic that these factors will contribute to a historical victory for Banna Gupta.