Over 12,000 villages 'vulnerable' in fourth phase polls

The Election Commission has identified as "vulnerable" from a security point of view over 12,000 villages that go to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday.

"All preparations have been made for peaceful elections," Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan told reporters here Monday.

Eighty-five Lok Sabha constituencies in eight states, including Delhi, will vote Thursday.

"The commission has identified more than 12,048 villages as vulnerable to threat and intimidation and 60,405 people have been identified as trouble makers," Balakrishnan said.

Polling in Bihar's Islampur and Hilsa assembly segments in Nalanda Lok Sabha seats and Masauri and Paliganj assembly in Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency will be held between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The polling in all other Lok Sabha constituencies, which vote in the fourth phase, will be held between 7 am and 5 pm, Balakrishnan said.

"More than 3,000 polling stations in Patliputra and Nalanda Lok Sabha constituencies are Naxal (Maoist) affected," he said.

Over 9.46 crore people will decide the fate of 1,315 candidates, including 119 women on Thursday.

A total of 129,103 polling stations have been set up and and 6.5 lakh polling personnel will be deployed for election duty.