In Jharkhand, 70 per cent votes were cast in the by-election to Kharsawan Assembly constituency. Polling was brisk in the beginning and remained peaceful all through amidst tight security arrangements. The main contest is between the ruling alliance supported BJP candidate and Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda and a united opposition candidate Krishna Gagrai of the JVM. The Kharsawan Assembly seat was won by BJP Mangal Singh Soy in 2009 general election. But he resigned to enable Arjun Munda to contest the election.