RANCHI, Feb. 24 -- Around 61.84 % of the 4.343 million eligible voters cast their ballots on Monday to choose their representatives in the 48 urban local bodies of the state, which was marred with the allegations of gunfire, lathi charges and administrative lapses in key districts including Giridih, Dhanbad, and Jamshedpur. According to the Jharkhand State Election Commission, the state recorded a final voter turnout of 61.84%. In Ranchi Municipal Corporation area final voter turnout remained lowest 43.28% while Saraikela Municipal Panchayat remained highest 75.35% turnout. Voting was conducted for 9 municipal corporations, 20 municipal councils, and 19 Nagar Panchayats. In a shift from previous elections, the commission utilised traditional ballot papers and notably omitted the NOTA option. Over 6,000 candidates contested for various Mayoral and ward councillor positions. As the civic body elections progressed, voter participation showed a consistent and robust upward trend throughout the day. After a relatively slow start with a 10.50% turnout recorded up to 9:00 AM, the momentum picked up significantly every two hours. By 11:00 AM, the figure had more than doubled to 23.23%, and the surge continued into the afternoon, reaching 37.44% by 1pm. By 3pm, over half of the eligible voters had cast their votes, with the voting percentage climbing to 50.61%. This steady rise reflected a high voter engagement as voters continued to queue up at polling stations across the city....