E-Paper
Polling begins peacefully in Bihar assembly election, 2 IEDs defused in Aurangabad
There have been a few incidents of EVM glitches but no violence has been reported.
Polling began on a peaceful note Wednesday morning for the first phase of the Bihar assembly election in 71 constituencies spread over 16 districts, officials said.
Two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were defused in Aurangabad late Tuesday night, police said.
EVM malfunction was reported from several booths just after polling started in the 71 constituencies. EVMs were found faulty at booths in Aurangabad, Lakhisarai, Gaya and Arwal constituencies disrupting polling for some time.
EVM malfunction was reported from booth number 163 and 164 at Panchrukhiya village in Masaurhi assembly seat in Patna district. Polling was disrupted at polling station 72 in Masaurhi for one hour.
Police said the IEDs were recovered at one place under Dhibri police station in Aurangabad late Tuesday night from under a bridge, which was defused by the bomb squads.
“We detected the IEDs during our patrolling and defused it immediately. Area domination in all sensitive identified as extremist hit are being done,” said a senior police officer. Aurangabad is affected by left wing extremism.
Click here for full coverage of Bihar Assembly Election 2020.
The first standalone election in Covid times, the response of voters at the booths in the morning has been mixed with turnout at the booths slowly picking up in various districts after 7.30 am. The Election Commission ( EC) has made elaborate plans for maintaining social distancing at the voters and screening of the electors before entering the booths in view of Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief Electoral officer H R Srinivas told the media that there were only a few incidents of EVM malfunction at booths in various districts and they were being attended to. “There are sector magistrates and all faulty EVMs would be immediately reserved. The polling is going on in a peaceful manner,” he said.
According to the Election Commission, voting percentage in the first hour of polling was 2% in Banka, 2.5%, in Munger, 2.3% in Jamui, 3% in Bhojpur, 2.3% in Buxar, 1.8% in Sheikhpura, 2.25% in Kaimur, 2.85 in Rohtas, 2.6% in Arwal, 2.9%, in Gaya, 3% in Lakhisarai, 4% in Patna, 3% in Bhagalpur, 2.65% in Nawada, 2.4% in Aurangabad and 2.7% in Jehanabad.
Additional director general of police (headquarter) Jitendra Kumar said the polling has been peaceful so far and no incidents of any security breach in extremist hit areas have been reported from near any booths. “The IEDSs recovered were not near the booths. We have a different strategy in place to ensure high security in extremist hit-areas,” he said.
Bihar’s chief electoral officer, Srinivasa said the polling percentage this election will be higher than previous elections in the first phase.
Meanwhile, villagers of Siddhipur in Paliganj assembly seat in Patna district gave a poll boycott call and have not turned up at the polling station, 233 Maheshpur. The villagers are angry over roads not being made in the last many years in the area.
(With inputs from Avinash Kumar, Mukesh K Mishra)
