Nomination process begins for Ghatshila bypoll in Jharkhand; no filings on Day 1

Jamshedpur/Ranchi, Oct 13 (PTI) The nomination process for the by-election to Jharkhand's Ghatshila Assembly constituency began on Monday with the issuance of the gazette notification, an election official said.

No candidate filed nomination papers on the first day, officials said. The nomination process will continue until October 21.

"The nomination process for the Ghatshila bypoll started today. No nomination was filed on the opening day," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar said.

He said scrutiny of nominations will be held on October 22, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 24.

"Submissions will be accepted from 11 am to 3 pm," East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Karn Satyarthi told PTI.

Voting will take place from 7 am to 5 pm on November 11, while counting is scheduled on November 14, he added.

The seat fell vacant after education minister Ramdas Soren died at a private hospital in New Delhi on August 15.

The constituency has 2.56 lakh electorate, including 1.31 lakh female voters.

Altogether, 300 polling stations will be set up at 231 locations, another official in Ranchi said, adding that preparations are complete for conducting free and fair polls.

The ruling JMM alliance and opposition BJP are likely to announce the names of their candidates this week.

JMM's Ramdas Soren had won the seat for the third time in 2024 by defeating BJP's Babulal Soren, a son of former chief minister Champai Soren. Ramdas had won the seat for the first time in 2009.

Though he lost the seat in 2014 to BJP's Lakshman Tudu, he won it back in 2019. PTI BS SAN RG SAN MNB