Residents of several villages affected by the pathalgadi movement in Khunti stood in long queues to cast their votes on Saturday though the polling percentage slipped to 63.66 from 66.83 in the Lok Sabha elections in May.

It was, however, slightly better than the Assembly elections in 2014, when the poll percentage stood at 63.34.

At Kitadih, the native village of pathalgadi movement pioneer Yusuf Purty, over 50 per cent of around 1,000 voters had already voted by 2.30pm.

Independent candidate Mashicharan Munda said: “If I win, I will ensure that the villagers continue to show interest in this democratic exercise. I will ensure development of the village by paying attention to health, education and jobs.”

At Anigara, which had hogged limelight after pathalgadi supporters allegedly kidnapped four jawans deputed at the house of senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Karia Munda, 40 per cent of 1,300 voters had turned up at the booths by 2pm.

“Last time, many villagers had not voted. This time they have come,” Munda said.

A polling officer at Todengkal, another pathalgadi-hit village, said 265 out of the 660 voters had cast their franchise by 10.30am. At Udburu, 40 per cent of the voters had exercise their right by 1.30pm.

Among the 2.07 lakh voters in Khunti Assembly constituency, 30,000 are from pathalgadi-hit villages. Sitting BJP MLA and state minister Neelkanth Singh Munda, who is trying his luck for the third time, is in direct fight against JMM’s Sushil Pahan.