Polling for six Lok Sabha seats in Bihar on Thursday started under the shadow of violence as Maoists killed two CRPF jawans and injured seven others when they were on their way to polling stations of Jamui constituency in Munger district. Instead of this 52 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the state.
The Maoists first detonated an improvised explosive device and then ambushed the CRPF personnel near Sawa Lakh Baba Mandir at the entrance of Bhimbandh jungle at around 5.30 AM. The security personnel returned the ultras’ fire.
In another incident, Gaya Police seized six can bombs weighing 30 kg each from Banke Bazar area under Imamganj Assembly segment, which is part of Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat, where too polls are underway.
A total of 50.36 per cent votes were cast till 4 pm in six parliamentary constituencies in Bihar which went to the polls on Thursday. The Election Commission in a statement said that Sasaram (SC) seat registered 54 per cent polling, while neighbouring Karakat recorded 51 per cent. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is Congress candidate from Sasaram.
Aurangabad witnessed 47.5 per cent voting, while it was 51.64 per cent in Gaya(SC), 49 per cent in Nawada and 49 per cent in Jamui(SC), the statement said. Voting ended at 4 pm in many parts of the six Lok Sabha constituencies, which were Maoist-hit, while it would conclude at 6 pm in other places.
Voting was put off for a future date in 22 polling stations of Jamui (SC) and Nawada seats in Maoist-hit areas due to security reasons. Besides Meira Kumar, former Kerala governor Nikhil Kumar, Bihar Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary, President of Rashtriya Lok Samata Party Upendra Kushwaha, and Chirag Paswan, actor-politician son of Lok Janashakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan were prominent candidates in the six seats.
In addition to the 51,000 security personnel deployed for conduct of free and fair polling in the Maoist-affected constituencies, patrolling was on by them on 350 motorcycles.
Three helicopters were also been pressed into service for surveillance, election commission sources said.
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