Bihar by-poll: Araria Lok Sabha seat records 57% voting

Tribune News Service

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Patna, March 11

In Bihar, where the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine and the opposition RJD-Congress alliance are locked in a battle, Araria Lok Sabha by-elections recorded 57 per cent voting, while Jehanabad and Bhabua Assembly constituencies recorded 50.6 per cent and 54.3 per cent, respectively.

There were reports of damaged EVMs at 24 polling stations, but these were eventually resolved, Araria District Magistrate Himanshu Sharma said.

Bihar Congress chief Kaukab Qaadri however claimed 137 EVMs encountered “technical glitches”. Administration admitted to having encountered problems with some EVMS, but these were either “repaired or changed”, officials said.

In Araria parliamentary constituency, seven candidates are in the fray. Former BJP MP Pradeep Kumar Singh is seeking to regain the seat from the RJD, which has fielded Sarfaraz Alam, the death of whose father Mohd Taslimuddin has necessitated the by-poll.

In Jehanabad, the RJD hopes to retain the assembly seat that fell vacant after the death of Mundrika Yadav. The party has given ticket to Yadav's son Kumar Krishna Mohan.

A total of 14 candidates are in the fray though the contest is mainly between the RJD nominee and JD(U)'s Abhiram Sharma who had won the seat in the 2010 assembly polls.

The BJP hopes to retain the Bhabhua Assembly seat riding on a sympathy wave for Anand Bhushan Pandey whose death at the age of 48 has necessitated the by-poll.

The saffron party has fielded Pandey's wife Rinky Rani and her principal challenger is Congress candidate Shambhu Singh Patel. The total number of candidates in the fray here is 17.

Counting of votes will take place on March 14.

The by-elections are being watched with much eagerness as this is the first electoral battle in the state since last year's political realignment when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who also heads the JD(U), walked out of the Grand Alliance and rejoined the BJP-led NDA.