Ranchi, 23 Nov

The BJP was leading in 39 of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand while the JMM was ahead in 38 as the counting of votes was underway on Saturday, according to reports of TV channels.

The counting of votes began at 8 AM.

The Election Commission, however, came out with trends showing that the INDIA Bloc leading in four seats, the BJP and an independent in one each till 9.26 AM.

The results will decide the electoral fate of a total of 1,211 candidates, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren who contested from Barhait, his wife Kalpana from Gandey, former CM and BJP state president Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar and ex-CM Champai Soren from Seraikela.

Other prominent candidates include Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato of the JMM from Nala, Deepika Pandey Singh of Congress from Mahagama, Sita Soren (sister-in-law of CM Hemant Soren) from Jamtara, AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto from Silli.

Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said the counting is underway amid tight security arrangements and is likely to be completed by 4 PM.

The lowest 13-round counting will pertain to the Torpa assembly segment while the counting for the Chatra seat will be held for the highest 24 rounds, he said.

This time, voter turnout reached a record 67.74 per cent, the highest since the formation of Jharkhand on November 15, 2000.

The assembly elections were held in two phases - November 13 and 20.

Forty-three seats went to polls in the first round and 38 in the second.