Ranchi, Jun 4 (PTI) The BJP was leading in seven Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand, while the Congress was ahead in two and the JMM in one, according to the Election Commission.

Union minister and sitting MP Arjun Munda was trailing to Congress's Kalicharan Munda in Khunti Lok Sabha seat by 9,880 votes, as per officials.

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Former DGP and sitting BJP MP VD Ram was leading by 11,182 votes over rival RJD's Mamata Bhuiyan in Palamu after the first round of counting, they said.

In Dumka, BJP's Sita Soren was leading by 7,569 votes over JMM's Nalin Soren. Sita, a three time JMM legislator, joined BJP just ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

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Sitting BJP MP Nishikant Dubey was leading by 2,791 votes over his rival Pradeep Yadav of Congress in Godda after the first round of counting. BJP's Bidyut Baran Mahto was leading by 7,074 votes in Jamshedpur over JMM's Sunil Kumar Mohanty.

Union minister Annapurna Devi was leading in Koderma over CPI (ML) Liberation's Vinod Kumar Singh.

Congress's JP Patel was leading from Hazaribag seat over BJP's Manish Jaiswal by only 74 votes.

JMM's Vijay Hansdak was leading by 1,519 votes over BJP's Talat Marandi in Rajmahal (ST) seat.

AJSU Party's CP Chaudhary was leading in Giridih.

Counting of votes started at 8 am for 14 Lok Sabha seats and one assembly by-election in Jharkhand amid heavy security arrangements.

A total of 244 candidates are in the fray.

Postal ballots were counted first and then EVMs are being counted on 1,894 tables.

"Chatra and Koderma will have the maximum number of rounds at 27 each, while Khunti will have the minimum at 16. There will be 24 rounds of counting in Gandey assembly by-election," Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar said.

Altogether nine sitting MPs and 12 MLAs, are contesting the parliamentary polls.

In Chaibasa, a poll staffer fell unconscious due to heat and was rushed to the hospital.

Overall 66.19 per cent turnout was recorded in the four phases of voting in Jharkhand from May 13 to June 1.

Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats, BJP had won 11 constituencies, while AJSU Party, Congress and JMM had won one seat each in the 2019 polls.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)