Peaceful polling in Bihar

NEW DELHI, Oct 28 (PTI, UNI) — Polling for four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar and one constituency in Assam passed off peacefully today with an estimated voters turnout of 55 per cent.

Repolling in 176 polling stations in outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency was held peacefully with an estimated 40 per cent of voters exercising their franchise.

In Bihar, 50 to 55 per cent of nearly 43 lakh voters cast their ballot in Bhagalpur, Purnea, Rajmahal and Khagaria constituencies amidst shoot-at-sight orders. Balloting in these constituencies was deferred due to floods.

Two persons, including a Home Guard, were injured in an accidental firing by a Bihar military police jawan at two booths in the Dhamdaha assembly segment of the Purnea parliamentary constituency, state Director-General of Police K.A. Jacob told reporters in Patna.

Polling was later vitiated at these booths where repoll was being recommended to the Election Commission, state Chief Electoral Officer A.K. Basu said.

Assam’s Dhubri constituency witnessed 60 per cent turnout with the balloting ending peacefully despite militants’ threat to disrupt polling and a 36-hour Goalpara bandh called to protest against the government’s reported move to transfer a local power station to an American firm.

Polling in Dhubri was postponed following kidnapping and subsequent killing of BJP candidate Pannalal Oswal by ULFA militants.

In Manipur, about 40 per cent of an estimated 1.18 lakh voters cast their votes in a trouble-free repoll at 176 polling stations in the outer Manipur parliamentary constituency. The repoll was held amidst tight security in view of the boycott called by NSCN (I-M) and other underground groups.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Thursday expressed satisfaction at the conclusion of polling and repoll in the remaining six parliamentary constituencies and said the day passed off peacefully, but for a few minor incidents in Bihar and outer Manipur.

The four constituencies of Purnea, Rajmahal, Khagaria and Bhagalpur in Bihar, where polling had been adjourned due to floods, today registered a voter turnout of about 54 per cent, as per the preliminary estimates announced by the Election Commission here.

Dhubri in Assam, where polling was adjourned following the killing of the BJP candidate, witnessed a voter turnout of 70 per cent.

In 176 polling stations of outer Manipur, where repoll was held, only 27 per cent of the electorate cast its vote. In four polling stations in the Ukhrul and the Chandel assembly segments of the constituency and in two or three polling stations in Tamenglong, no vote was cast following the poll boycott call given by a faction of the NSCN.

Deputy Election Commissioner Subhas Pani told newspersons here that repoll, if necessary, would be held in these constituencies on October 30 and counting of votes would be taken up on November 1.

Expressing satisfaction at the peaceful conduct of the elections, Mr Pani said only two incidents of accidental firing by Jawans of the Bihar military police were reported from Purnea and Rajmahal constituencies of Bihar. While a Home Guard and a betel seller were injured in the first incident, a patrolling magistrate was hurt in the second incident, but was out of danger.