Patna, April 26 (UNI) Polling began on five seats in Bihar on a peaceful note amid tight security arrangements for second phase of Lok Sabha elections.
A total of 93,96,298 electorates will exercise their franchise at 9,322 booths to decide the fates of 50 candidates, including former Union Minister and Congress leader Tarique Anwar.
The office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said no untoward incident has been reported from any part of all five constituencies where polling is in progress.
A large number of voters were seen outside polling stations way ahead of 7 am when the process began. There were women and first-time voters also seen waiting eagerly for their turns just to beat the scorching as the day progresses.
Five of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar polling on Friday are Katihar, Kishanganj, Purnea, Bhagalpur, and Banka. On April 19, Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui, and Nawada voted in first phase. Thirty one remaining seats will vote in the later phases in similar staggered manner.
Voting will end at 6 p.m., barring in those booths located in sensitive and naxalite-affected areas where voting will end at 4 p.m.
A total of 50 candidates are in fray, including three women. Anwar is trying his luck from the Katihar seat, while former Bihar Minister Beema Bharti, who had recently deserted JD(U) to join RJD, is contesting from the Purnea Lok Sabha seat.
Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, who had merged his party JAP with Congress in anticipation of contesting on the Congress ticket from Purnea, is in the electoral fray as an Independent from this seat.
Former leader of the Congress legislature party in the Bihar Assembly, Ajit Sharma, is contesting from the Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat. Sitting Congress MP Mohammad Jawed is again trying his luck from Kishanganj seat.
Of the five seats, four are in the kitty of JD(U) while one seat is held by Congress. As per seat sharing among constituents of NDA, all five seats are being contested by JD(U) in the second phase.
On the other hand, constituents of INDIA bloc -- Congress has fielded three candidates while RJD has fielded two in this round. Congress from Kishanganj, Katihar and Bhagalpur while RJD in Banka and Purnea.
A maximum number of 12 candidates each are contesting from Kishanganj and Bhagalpur seats. Minimum of seven candidates are contesting from Purnea.
A total of 9,322 polling stations have been set up, and arrangements for webcasting have been made at 4,821 polling stations. The number of all female-managed booths is 29, while the number of model polling stations is 37.
In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP had bagged 17 seats, JD(U) 16, LJP 6 and Congress 1 seat. RJD, the major opposition party in Assembly, drew blanks in the last Lok Sabha elections.
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