Polling begins for 43 seats in first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections
New Indian ExpressRANCHI: Voting for 43 assembly seats in Jharkhand commenced on Wednesday with a total of 683 candidates trying their luck, including former CM Champai Soren and ex-MP Geeta Kora. Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief JP Nadda, held several rallies where they attacked the JMM-led coalition over alleged corruption and infiltration. INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, its president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife and legislator Kalpana Soren highlighted welfare schemes and accused the BJP-led Centre of unleashing all the central agencies, including ED, CBI and I-T, against opposition leaders. BJP's Geeta Kora, wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda will lock horns with Congress' Sona Ram Sinku in Jagannathpur.