The high voter turnout trend continued in the Bihar Assembly elections as the fourth phase recorded a poll percentage of 51 on Monday despite an incident in the Naxal-plagued Jamui district.
The day began with Naxals triggering a blast near a bridge on the Chakai-Jamui main road in the Batia jungle.
Director-General of Police Neelmani, however, said nobody was injured and the extremists fled following retaliation by the Border Security Force commandos.
The fourth phase — which saw polling for 42 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat spread across eight districts — recorded a dramatic improvement in the turnout of voters, higher than what was recorded in the October 2005 Assembly and 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
The 10 constituencies in the relatively urban Patna district recorded an impressive 52 per cent polling, against the lacklustre 36.31 per cent registered during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
Voters remained unfazed by the Naxal call for boycott and a good turnout of 53 was recorded in Khagaria district and 55 per cent in Begusarai district.
The Naxal belt comprising Lakhisarai, Munger and Jamui districts recorded an average poll percentage of 48, with the latter two districts clocking significantly higher averages than their score in the Lok Sabha elections — 38 per cent.
The byelection for the Banka Lok Sabha seat, necessitated by the death of the former Union Minister Digvijay Singh, was also held. The two prominent contenders are Putul Singh, wife of Digvijay Singh, who is fighting as an independent and Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal). The bypoll recorded a 47 per cent turnout.
Massive security arrangements were made for the fourth phase. There was cent per cent coverage of Naxal areas and air surveillance was stepped up.
Four anti-socials set off a bomb near a booth in the Danapur constituency in which a woman was injured. Mr. Neelmani said the miscreants were arrested.
First information reports were lodged against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi for violation of the model code of conduct. They had allegedly brought their security personnel into the booth while voting in Dinapur of Digha constituency in Patna.
Authorities also filed an FIR against Transport Minister and Janata Dal (United) candidate, Ram Nandan Singh, for taking two guards inside a booth while casting his vote in the Parbatta constituency of Khagaria district.
