3 poll officials go missing in Bihar
PTI
PATNA, OCT 24
Defying a poll boycott call by Maoists, voter turnout in the second of six-phase elections in Bihar on Sunday was robust recording around 53 per cent though some stray incidents including three poll officials going missing were reported.
Polling was held in 45 Assembly constituencies spread over six districts, some of them affected by Naxal menace. The districts were East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur. A total of 623 candidates, including 46 women, were in the fray on Sunday.
The first phase recorded 53 per cent voting.
“The polling percentage recorded at 5 pm was 52.55 per cent which may go up as some people were still in queues to cast their vote,” Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi said in New Delhi.
The elections were held in the threat of Naxal violence and in the shadow of last Friday’s landmine blast in Sheohar
district by Maoists in which six policemen were killed. The attack prompted the EC to reduce voting time by two hours in Sheohar and Belsand constituencies which witnessed a heavy turnout.
Stray incidents of violence occurred in Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts. Heavily-armed Maoists raided a polling centre at Subaigarh in Runisaidpur constituency and burnt down the electronic voting machines besides other materials early this morning before voting began, SP Rakesh Rathi told PTI.
Three polling personnel – presiding officer Baldeo Prasad Yadav, K N Sigh and Satyendra Patel – went missing after the incident, Returning Officer for the seat Shivdani Singh said.
Though he did not rule out foul play, Zutshi said it was too early to say if Maoists were involved in the incident.
“No EVMs were there at the spot when the incident occurred. Sitamarhi Superintendent of Police is camping at the spot and efforts are on to find their whereabouts,” he said.
Substitute polling materials, including EVMs, and poll personnel were rushed to the booth and voting began as per schedule, Singh said.
Voters’ defiance of the poll boycott call was evident as better than expected turnout was recorded in all five Maoist-affected seats. While Paroo recorded 62 per cent voting, Sahebganj registered 52 per cent, Minapur 53.72 per cent, Sheohar 49 per cent and Belsand 48 per cent.
Maoist posters asking voters to boycott the poll had appeared on government buildings and polling stations in East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur districts.
In another incident, the vehicle of state JD-U minister Dinesh Prasad Kushwaha was attacked allegedly by supporters of an Independent candidate Madhavi Chandra at a place under Minapur Assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district, official sources said.
An FIR was lodged against Madhvi Chandra in this connection in the attack in which Kushwaha escaped unhurt, while his bodyguard was injured, they said.
Security was stepped up by sealing off the Bihar-Nepal border and intensified patrolling and air surveillance, Director General of Police Neelmani said.
He said 118 preventive arrests were made for a smooth conduct of the polling.
The vehicle of ruling BJP nominee Veena Devi too was attacked in Gayghat Assembly constituency in the district, but none was injured.
