Sunday, February 27 2005 08:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Counting for Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana Assembly elections today (Feb 27, 2005) began at 0800 hours (IST) amid tight security.

Counting for 243 seats in Bihar, 81 in Jharkhand and 90 in Haryana will decide the fate of 2,752 candidates in the Assembly elections that ended on February 23.

In Bihar, counting of ballots were taken up at 44 centres spread over 38 districts where central para-military forces were deployed to make the exercise trouble-free.

The fate of 3,179 contestants, including Chief Minister Rabri Devi, who is seeking a second term from Raghopur, Opposition leader in the Assembly Upendra Singh, State Congress president Ramjatan Sinha, his NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) counterpart Aqil Haider and Samajwadi Party State president Dadan Singh alias Dadan Pahelwan would be decided.

Altogether 1,390 candidates, including 660 independents and 94 women, are in the fray in Jharkhand, where the first poll since the formation of the State have been held.

Prominent among those whose fates will be known in the counting include Chief Minister Arjun Munda (Kharsawan), JDU (Janata Dal United) President Inder Singh Namdhari (Daltonganj) and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader and former Union coal Minister Karia Munda (Khijri).

A total 983 candidates, including 60 women, besides Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala will be waiting expectantly for the results in Haryana.

Key contestants include Chautala, from Narwana and Rori, Bhajan Lal (Adampur) and his son Chander Mohan (Kalka), former HPCC president Shamsher Singh Surjewala (Kaithal) and his son Randeep (Narwana), BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra (Mundal Khurd).