Ranchi, Dec 24 : The results of the polls for the Jharkhand State Assembly elections has thrown up all sorts of possibilities with no single party in a position to form a government of its own in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.

Shibu Soren''s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has surprised everyone by bagging 18 seats, and he could play the role of kingmaker.

New Delhi/Ranchi, Dec 23 : The newly appointed President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nitin Gadkari has reached the BJP office in New Delhi and there are reports that a discussion on the BJP''s position in the ongoing counting for Jharkhand polls may be discussed.

As per the latest reports, the Jharkhand assembly is heading for a hung verdict with no single alliance getting a clear majority.

The biggest concern that has come to the fore is whether Jharkhand will have a stable government this time.

Ranchi, Dec 18 : Over 35 per cent voting has been recorded in the fifth and final phase of assembly elections in Jharkhand so far.

16 seats are going to poll in this round of the five-phased elections amidst tight security. The officials of the Election Commission in New Delhi and in Ranchi have been watching the polling through webcams in eight booths -- one each in Chaibasa, Sareikela, Garhwa, Chatra, Latehar, Barkatha and two in Palamau.

Ranchi, Dec 16 : Campaigning for the fifth phase and final phase of the five-phased poll for the Jharkhand Assembly will come to an end today.

Polling in this phase will be held in sixteen constituencies on December 18.

Leaders of different political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters in favour of their parties.

According to sources, tight security arrangements have been made, as there are chances of violence taking place in the Maoist-dominated areas.

Ranchi, Dec 11 : Over 24 lakh voters will decide the fate of 233 candidates during the fourth phase of the Jharkhand assembly polls on Saturday.

Voting will take place in fourteen constituencies.

These are Baharagora, Ghatshila, Potka, Ichagarh, Majhgaon, Manoharpur, Torpa, Sisai, Chakradharpur, Gumla, Bishunpur, Simdega, Kolebira and Lohardaga.

Daltonganj (Jharkhand), Nov 30 : After waging a war from the forests, Maoist rebels have joined mainstream politics and are contesting this year''s assembly election in Jharkhand.

At least six rebels are in the poll fray.

The rebels say they have given up arms for votes to continue their fight for people''s rights.

Ranchi, Nov 30 : Campaigning for the second phase of the five-phased poll for the Jharkhand Assembly will end this evening.

The second phase of the poll will take place on December 2 for 14 constituencies of remaining 55.

According to sources, despite tight security, violence continues unabated in the state. Polls for 26 Assembly seats were held on November 25. The second phase will cover most of the Maoists affected areas in the state.

Ranchi, Nov 25 : Polling for the first phase of the five-phased Jharkhand assembly elections began amidst tight security on Wednesday morning.

A total of 470 candidates, including 34 women, are in the fray with 6,532,234 voters to cast votes between 7 am to 3 pm.

The opening and closing time for the polling has been advanced in view of the Naxal threats.

Ranchi, Nov 23 : Police here have foiled a Maoist attempt to disrupt the Assembly polls in Jharkhand as they have arrested three people with electronic material used in landmine plants.

Acting on a tip off, the police intercepted a vehicle here and found it laden with explosive devices in the Bundu area.

Imphal, Nov 21 : By-poll to Yaiskul Assembly constituency in Imphal East district of Manipur would be held on December 19.

Joint Chief Electoral Officer N Prabin said in a statement that the notification for the by-poll was necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLA Elangbam Kunjakishore. The notification will be issued on November 25.

The last date for filing of nomination papers and withdrawal of papers would be December 2 and December 5 respectively.

Counting of votes would be taken up on December 23.

Baghdad - Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi on Wednesday returned the country's elections law to parliament, asking it to raise the number of seats reserved for expatriate Iraqis.

Al-Hashemi asked the parliament to reconsider the paragraph of the law which sets the number of seats reserved for expatriate Iraqi voters, a source in his office said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Zagreb - Croats will have a choice of 13 candidates when they vote for their new president on December 27, the daily Vecernji List said Tuesday.

Incumbent President Stjepan Mesic has served two five-year terms, the maximum allowed by law.

Recent surveys predict a tight race between two front-runners from the opposition Social Democratic Party: the "official" candidate, Ivo Josipovic, and the party "dissident," Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic.

Jerusalem, Nov. 13 : Presidential and parliamentary polls in the Palestinian territories that were scheduled to be held in January 2010, have been postponed indefintely in view of the objections raised by the Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza.

Electoral officials conceded on Thursday that no elections could take place till the Hamas was brought onboard.

Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), Oct 15 : Maoists attempted to disrupt the polling process in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli District on Thursday morning by firing at a polling booth.

The Naxals reportedly opened fire on the polling booth in Kotmi village of Alapali taluka at around 10:30 a. m.

Naxals fled from the spot after the attack. No casualties were reported in the incident.

Gadchiroli, Oct 15 : Voting has begun at twenty-two polling booths in naxal-affected Maharashtra''s Gadchiroli district today.

Polling will end at 3: 00 p. m.

Polling could not be held in these booths on Tuesday, as agents could not reach there on time due to security reasons.

Thirteen polling centres are in the Aheri area, seven in the Armori area and two in the Gadchiroli assembly constituency.

Shimla, Oct 14 : The two major political parties in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Wednesday did not name their candidates even as nominations opened for the by-elections to two assembly constituencies.

Rohru and Jawali constituencies fell vacant after the respective legislators from there - Virbhadra Singh and Rajan Sushant - contested and won the Lok Sabha elections in May.

"On the first day of filing the nomination papers, no candidate of any political party has filed the papers," Himachal Chief Electoral Officer Anil Khachi told IANS.

Babhalgaon Village/Mumbai, Oct 13 : Union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh cast his vote with family members here on Tuesday.

Vilasrao''s son Amit Deshmukh is contesting from Latur on Congress-NCP ticket. Confident Vilasrao said the ruling alliance would easily come to power, as there is no anti-incumbency factor.

"I feel that people are in favour of the ruling alliance (Congress-Nationalist Party Alliance) and don''t see any negative or anti-incumbency factor," Vilasrao said after casting his vote.

Rohtak (Haryana)/Pune (Mumbai), Oct 13 : Prominent leaders came out to cast their votes for the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana on Tuesday.

In Rohtak, Bhajan Lal, former Haryana Chief Minister and chief of the Haryana Janhit Congress came out and cast his vote.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda cast his vote and refused to comment about his rivals.

"This is democracy and everybody has the right of expression. But it is people who will elect the government," he said while heading before casting his vote.

Mumbai, Oct 13 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan cast his vote here today.

After casting his vote, Chavan asked the people to come out and use their right to vote for their candidate.

Besides Chavan, Anil Ambani, Poonam Mahajan and Ajit Pawar also cast their votes.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena workers alleged that Congress MLA Janardhan Chandurkar was distributing money to lure voters.

Chandurkar, a three-term MLA, is contesting from Bandra (East) constituency. He is being questioned by the police.

Mumbai / Chandigarh / Itanagar, Oct 13 : Polling to elect new assemblies in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh began on Tuesday.

The voting is being held in a single phase in all these states.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made elaborate security arrangements to ensure free and fair polls.

The Election Commission has banned the publication and dissemination of results of opinion and exit polls on assembly elections till the completion of the voting process on Tuesday evening.