In Jharkhand, polling for the first phase of Assembly elections is on amidst tight security. The polling began at 7 a.m. and will continue up to 3 p.m. In this phase polling is taking place in 26 out of 81 constituencies of the state. Over 65 lakh voters will decide the electoral fortune of 470 candidates including 212 independents and 34 women candidates. 8,176 polling stations have been made for today's polls.Director General of Police B.D. Ram said, jawans of Central Para Military forces have been deployed on all polling booths to ensure free and fair polls. He said the State police SAP jawans and Home Guards have also been engaged in election duties. The Election Commission has appointed 41 observers and one thousand micro observers to monitor election process. The Joint Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand A.K. Sinha told AIR that elaborate arrangements have been made for smooth polling. AIR correspondent Krishna Kumar Lal, who is at a polling booth at Doranda of Hatia Assembly constituency, tells about the latest position of polling.Important candidates whose fate will be decided include – Furkan Ansari of Congress from Jamtara, Suraj Mandal of JMM from Poraiyahat. State BJP President Raghuwar Das from east Jamsedpur; State Janata Dal United President Jaleshwar Mehto from Baghmara and former Speaker Alamgir Alam from Pakur.