Voting for 16 seats is underway in the fifth and final phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections today.Over 40,05,200 voters in the Santhal Pargana region will seal the electoral fate of 237 candidates, including 29 women.

The voting began at 7 am and will end at 3 pm today in Borio, Barhait, Litipara, Maheshpur and Sikaripara seats while voters in the rest of the constituencies can exercise their franchise between 7 am and 5 pm, Election Commission officials said.

Around 28.24 per cent of over 40 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 11 am, Election Commission (EC) officials said.

No case of violence has been reported from any region of the state so far.

The fate of former chief minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren is set to be decided in these elections, as is that of state Woman and Child Welfare Minister Louis Marandi and Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh.

The JMM re-nominated its sitting MLA Sita Soren, daughter-in-law of the party president, from Jama seat. Former deputy chief minister and sitting JMM MLA Stephen Marandi is seeking re-election from Maheshpur.

The Election Commission has set up 8,987 ballot units, 6,738 control units and 7,006 VVPAT machines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to come out in large numbers and vote in Jharkhand. He tweeted, “Today is the fifth and final phase of voting in the Jharkhand assembly elections. I request all voters to participate in this festival of democracy.”

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das also wrote on Twitter, “I appeal to all the first-time voters to come out and vote in large numbers. Vote for the prosperity of Jharkhand.”

The BJP, which is contesting on all 16 seats in this final phase, has fielded sitting MLAs Ashok Kumar Bhagat, Anant Ojha and Amit Mandal from Mahagama, Rajmahal and Godda assembly constituencies, respectively.

Candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Lok Jan Shakti Party, AJSU Party and the Left are also in the fray.