Patna, Nov 07 (UNI) Amid tight security arrangements, polling began at 0700 hours on brisk note in 78 constituencies where a total of 2, 35, 54, 071 electors would be exercising their franchise, sealing
in EVMs, the fate of 1204 candidates including 12 ministers of Nitish Kumar cabinet during third and final phase of Bihar Assembly Elections.
A large of voters waiting for their turns in long queues were seen at several booths in 78 constituencies spread across 15 districts, some of them located in frontier region of Bihar bordering with Nepal and Bangladesh. Polling began at 7AM in all 78 Assembly seats and it would continue till 6 PM barring four seats where voting would come to an end at 4 PM due to security reasons.
Constituencies were polling would come to an end at 4 PM are -- Valmiki Nagar (Lok Sabha by-elections) and Ram Nagar in West Champaran district and Simri Bakhtiyarpur and Mahisi in Saharsa
district.

Polling for by-election in Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat is also in progress where more than 17 lakhs electors would be exercising their franchise at 2478 polling booths. Repolling is on at three booths in Hilsa seat of Nalanda district where polling was held during the second phase of Bihar Assembly elections on November 3. Polling at these three booths was held peacefully, but EVMs had fallen into ditch filled with water due to accident, while polling party was taking the same to deposit in strong room.
Prominent candidates whose political fortunes would be sealed in EVMs are 12 ministers of Nitish Cabinet, eight from JD(U) quota and four from BJP quota.
Among ministers who are trying their luck include Bijendra Prasad, Narendra Narain Yadav, Khurshid
alias Firoz Ahmad, Madan Sahani, Maheshwar Hazari-- all from
JD(U) and Pramod Kumar, Vinod Narayan Jha, Krishna Kumar Rishi and Suresh Kumar Sharma--all from BJP. Other prominent candidates are-- former ministers Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Ramai
Ram and Suhasini Yadav, daughter of veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav.
Polling for first of three phased Bihar Assembly Elections was held in 71 seats on October 28 and in 94 seats during second phase on November 03.
Polling is in progress today in rest of total 243 seats in third and final phase of Bihar Assembly elections.
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