Jharkhand will go for first phase polling on April 10 amidst tight security in Maoist-affected Palamu(SC), Chatra, Koderma and Lohardaga (ST) Lok Sabha constituencies where voting is expected to begin at 7 am.
A total of 66 candidates had filed nomination papers but two withdrew their nominations and two other nominations were cancelled on technical grounds.
Of the remaining 62 candidates, 20 each are contesting from the Chatra and Koderma constituencies, 13 from the Palamau seat and 9 from the Lohardaga seats.
In Palamau LS seat, a three-cornered contest is on the cards between BJP candidate and former Jharkhand police chief Vishnu Dayal Ram, Manoj Kumar of RJD and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha's Ghuran Ram in Ranchi.
Sitting MP and former Maoist Kameshwar Baitha is also contesting on Trinamool Congress ticket from Palamau, where Congress won six times (1952, 57, 62, 67, 71 and 84), BJP four times (1991, 96, 98, 99) and RJD twice (2004, 2007).
This time Congress and JMM pitched for RJD as per the pre-poll alliance in Jharkhand.
Former union minister and Congress candidate Rameshwar Oraon, sitting BJP MP Sudarshan Bhagat and sitting MLA Chamra Linda of Trinamool are among the nine contestants for Lohardaga (ST) seat.
The Koderma LS seat also witnessed a three-cornered contest with BJP's state unit chief Ravindra Kumar Ray, former Congress MP Tilakdhari Singh and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha candidate Pranav Kumar Verma among the 20 candidates in fray.
Former MP Suraj Mandal is fielded from Jharkhand Vikas Dal among the 20 candidates.
Meanwhile, in view of Naxal threats, police have deployed additional forces in Maoist hotbeds in Jharkhand after they threatened residents to boycott parliamentary polls or face dire consequences.
A total of 56,47,736 electorate with 29,98,487 male and 26,49,246 females are eligible to exercise their franchise in four of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. Polling for the rest 10 Lok Sabha seats would be held on April 17 and 24.
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