Repoll ordered in 5 Ramgarh booths

RANCHI, FEB. 21. The Election Commission has ordered repoll in five booths of Ramgarh Assembly constituency in Jharkhand where bypoll was conducted on February 19, following complaints of large scale irregularities, the Chief Election Officer said today.

Of the seven candidates in fray, the Chief Minister, Mr. Babulal Marandi (BJP), Mr. Arjun Ram (JMM), Mr. Yamuna Sharma (Congress) and Nadira Begum (CPI) are main contenders.

The Chief Election Officer said repoll would be held tomorrow. The Opposition has called for an all Jharkhand bandh tomorrow to protest poll irregularities committed during the Ramgarh bypoll and to demand repoll in the entire constituency.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha alleged that the BJP indulged in large-scale rigging on February 19, and threatened to stall the counting on February 23 if the demand was not met.

The JMM chief, Mr. Sibu Soren, said he has asked the people at Chittarpur in Ramgarh to turn up in large numbers at the counting centre on February 23 to join the `Ghera Dalo - Dera Dalo' at the counting Venue.

When reminded that the Election Commission has already ordered repoll at five booths, Mr. Soren said he was not satisfied with that.

Repoll in Asthawan

Repoll has been ordered at five polling centres in Bihar's Asthawan Assembly constituency also following reports of electoral malpractices repoll would be held tomorrow.

Altogether 18 contestants, including Mr. Satish Kumar (Samata), Kumar Pushpanjay (RJD) and Arun Kumar Singh (Lok Janshakti) are in the fray in Asthawan where bypoll was held on February 19 due to the death of independent MLA, R. P. Sharma.

- PTI

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