Bihar polls: 52.42% voting recorded till 3 pm

The turnout in the fourth phase of Bihar Assembly elections in 55 constituencies spread over seven districts today increased to 52.42% till 3 PM.

As per the hourly EC bulletin, West Champaran recorded 56.47%, East Champaran 53.45%, Sheohar 54.70%, Sitamarhi 53.46%, Muzaffarpur 52.51%, Gopalganj 50.93% and Siwan 46.62%.

West Champaran district recorded a maximum turnout of 56.47% while Siwan recorded the lowest turnout of 46.62% till 3 pm.

Polling is currently underway in seven districts of East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj and Siwan except for a few seats where polling came to an end at 3 and 4 pm.

Polling came to an end at 3 pm in four constituencies of Sheohar, Riga, Runnisaidpur and Belsand while it ended at 4 pm in eight constituencies of Valmikinagar, Ramnagar (SC), Madhuban, Chiraiya, Dhaka, Minapur, Paroo and Sahebganj.

Though voting was hampered for half an hour at polling station number 50 of Sheohar constituency following a clash between two groups of rival candidates, it resumed after a little while with the District Magistrate and other officials making an intervention to ensure polling continues.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer Lakshmanan confirmed the resumption of polling.

Meanwhile, a homeguard, Mahadev Prasad, died of heart attack while on duty at polling station numbers of 69, 70 and 71 located at an upgraded middle school in Purandara panchayat of Raxaul assembly constituency of East Champaran district.

Raxaul Sub-Divisional Officer Sri Prakash said that the homeguard, a resident of Jhanakpur village of Gaya district, died of heart attack last night when he reached the middle school polling station for next day's polling.

People at some places reportedly boycotted polling for lack of development in their respective areas. Similarly, people of Maharani Bhopat panchayat boycotted the poll for lack of power availability at polling stations numbers 74 and 77 of Kalyanpur constituency in East Champaran district.