Lok Sabha elections 2019: Barring Banka, phase two polling peaceful in Bihar

The trouble began after some women voters insisted on casting their votes twice. Soon, supporters of two different groups assembled near the booth in large number and began pelting stones at security personnel.

Barring an incident of police firing at Banka and poll boycott at a couple of booths in Naugachia (Bhagalpur) and Banka, polling in five Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar passed off peacefully, recording a voter turnout of 62.52%, which was 0.6% more than the last time in these constituencies, during the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on Thursday.

Women outnumbered men in exercising their franchise as they began queuing up at polling booths since early morning. (PTI)

Police had to fire in the air to disperse an unruly mob, which tried to barge into a polling booth at a middle school in Ramachuwa village under Shambhuganj police station of Banka.

The trouble began after some women voters insisted on casting their votes twice. Soon, supporters of two different groups assembled near the booth in large number and began pelting stones at security personnel. This compelled security personnel, deployed at booth numbers 59 and 60, to retaliate by first resorting to baton charge and then firing in the air.

The locals, however, alleged that an SSB jawan, who was in an inebriated condition, tried to physically assault a woman who had queued up to cast her vote.

Bhagalpur’s deputy inspector general of police Vikas Vaibhav said an FIR had been lodged and inquiry ordered into the incident. “We did not allow polling to be hampered because of the commotion,” he said.

“Police had to fire four rounds in the air to disperse a mob. Congregation of a large number of people in an unruly manner is not allowed near polling booth,” said additional director general of police (ADG) Kundan Krishnan, while addressing a press conference later in the evening.

Voters boycotted polling at a booth each in Naugachia and Banka over absence of road in their area, he said.

Bihar’s chief electoral officer (CEO) H R Srinivasa said six persons were arrested for trying to disrupt polls across the five Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar.

He said, “Polling across 8,644 booths in the second phase was peaceful in the state.”

A few incidents of glitches in EVMs and resentment among voters over their name missing from the electoral list were reported across Kishanganj, Katihar and Purnia, the three parliamentary constituencies of Bihar’s Seemanchal region.

Purnia district magistrate-cum returning officer Pradeep Kumar Jha accepted that some EVMs had developed snag and voting was temporarily affected.

“We were, however, able to rectify snag in EVMs in quick time and continue with voting,” added Jha.

Women outnumbered men in exercising their franchise as they began queuing up at polling booths since early morning.

Five-time Lok Sabha MP and Congress nominee from Katihar, Tariq Anwar, did not cast his vote at his constituency as he is a voter of Delhi.

“I will cast my vote in Delhi, as I am a voter there,” he said.

Besides Anwar, Bhagalpur MP and RJD nominee Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal, Banka MP Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav of the RJD, Purnia MP Santosh Kumar of the JD(U) are among the prominent candidates whose fate will be decided in this round.

Among the 68 candidates in fray are former MP and Congress nominee from Purnea, Uday Singh; Congress nominee from Kishanganj, Mohammed Jawaid, former MP and independent candidate from Banka, Putul Kumari, and former MLA