Patna, May 7 (UNI) An estimated 46.69 per cent of total 98,60,397 electorate exercised their franchise till 3 PM during third phase of Lok Sabha election to five seats in Bihar.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) sources said maximum 48.98 per cent polling was recorded in Araria followed by 48.36 per cent in Supaul, 46.65 per cent in Khagaria, 46.59 per cent in Madhepura and 42.94 per cent in Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha seats.
No untoward incident had so far been reported from anywhere, sources added.
Meanwhile, according to a report from Madhepura, the employees of the colleges functioning under unaided education policy, who were working without any salary for the past 40 years, have boycotted the polling
in Madhepura LS constituency.
The report further said the villagers protesting against non- development boycotted polling at booth number 187 located in Upgraded Girls middle school Manirahi under Ward Number 11 of Madanpur Sadar block and in both number 73 situated in Dina Patti Sukhwa panchayat of Muraliganj block.
Following assurance by the local RJD leader at booth number 187 and by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate ( SDM) at booth number 73 the voters turned up at the booths at around 14 hours to exercise their franchise.
Earlier the presiding officer at booth number 187 informed that only 5 voters out of 1062 electorate at Manirahi booth had turned up to cast their votes till 10 AM.
The Block Development Officer also persuaded the voters and appealed to them to exercise their franchise assuring that their demands would be fulfilled after the election.
A report from Supaul quoting District returning officer cum district magistrate Kaushal Kumar informed that presiding officer Shailendra Kumar of polling booth number 158 died due to cardiac arrest even before the polling could begin at the booth.
The presiding officer suffered a heart attack and fell unconscious when he had gone to respond to the call of nature in the morning at 6:00 a.m. He was rushed to the Sadar Hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.
A total of 54 candidates, including 3 women, are in fray in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. NDA and INDIA bloc candidates are in straight fight in all five constituencies which are the sitting seats of the NDA.
BJP, JD(U) and LJP(Ram Vilas) main are the constituent units of the NDA whereas
INDIA bloc has RJD, VIP and CPI(M) as its constituents in the third round of polling. Congress, another constituent of the INDIA bloc, has not fielded its candidate in this phase of Lok Sabha election.
UNI RS KK