Polling peaceful for 24 Council seats in Bihar

Polling for 24 local bodies’ constituencies of Bihar Legislative Council, in which the electorate consisted of elected representatives of panchayat bodies, including municipalities and municipal corporations, in the respective constituencies, passed of peacefully on Monday, barring stray incidents of names missing from the voters’ list and violation of the code of conduct.

Polling for 24 local bodies’ constituencies of Bihar Legislative Council, in which the electorate consisted of elected representatives of panchayat bodies, including municipalities and municipal corporations, in the respective constituencies, passed of peacefully on Monday, barring stray incidents of names missing from the voters’ list and violation of the code of conduct.

Ward councilors stand in a queue to cast their votes during the Bihar MLC elections, at Danapur, in Patna on Monday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

There are 187 contestants in the fray. The voter turnout was around 97.84% till 4pm, as per a communiqué from the state election commission (SEC).

The highest voting percentage was reported from Gaya-Jehanabad-Arwal constituency, where 99.57% electors exercised their franchise, while the lowest turnout was reported in the East Champaran constituency, where 91.7% of the total electors cast their votes.

Votes will be counted on April 7 and results announced the same day.

The SEC has lodged first information reports (FIRs) against three legislators, one each from BJP, JD(U) and CPI(ML), in Katihar and Patna for violating the code of electoral conduct. BJP MLA from Korha, Kavita Paswan, and JD(U) MLA from Barari, Vijay Singh, were accused of entering the booths with party flags on their vehicles and along with their armed bodyguards. CPI(ML) legislator Gopal Ravidas was booked under the same act at Phulwarisharif booth.

RJD MLC Sunil Kumar, who is an elector in Saran local bodies’ constituency, alleged he could not use his franchise as his name was missing from the voters’ list. He said he would move court.

From the ruling alliance, BJP and JD(U) are contesting 12 and 11 seats, respectively, leaving one for Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party led by union minister Pashupati Pasas.

From the opposition camp, RJD is contesting 23 seats and allotted one seat to CPI.

Congress, which had no seat sharing arrangement with RJD, is contesting 16 seats alone.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who exercised his franchise in Patna, claimed the NDA would win all the seats.

Similar claims were made by the leaders of the rival camps.