New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday "strongly" urged the voters in Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir to vote in large numbers in the second of the five-phase elections.
"As the phase 2 of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand commence, I strongly urge people voting in those areas to vote in large numbers," the prime minister said in a tweet.
Balloting began in 18 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, and in 20 of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand.
In J&K all the 18 seats will witness a multi-cornered contest with Noorabad having the highest number of 15 candidates, followed by Reasi (14), Handwara and Kupwara (12 each).
A total of over 12 lakh voters are expected to exercise their franchise at 1,900 polling stations.
In Jharkhand, former chief ministers Arjun Munda and Madhu Koda and three ministers are among 223 candidates, including 35 women, contesting from 20 seats-- 16 of them reserved for tribals. Jharkhand has an 81-member Assembly.
