Police official attacked for stopping bogus voting in Bihar's Arrah

A police officer on polling duty was allegedly attacked on Sunday for preventing bogus voting at polling booth 49 here in Arrah, officials said.

"We received information of stone pelting but there has been no disturbance in voting. Peaceful voting is taking place. Some people might have tried to create trouble, they have been chased out. We have got to know that one of the police officers sustained minor injuries. There is nothing to worry about," Arrah Additional District Magistrate told ANI.

Meanwhile, polling was stopped at booth number 101 and 102 in Sarkuna village of Paliganj after a clash broke out between two groups.

A voter turnout of 46.66 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Sunday in eight parliamentary constituencies across the state of Bihar.

According to the Election Commission of India, of the eight Lok Sabha seats, voting percentage was the highest in Buxar (48.31 per cent), followed by Karakat (48.26 per cent), Jahanabad (48.03 per cent), Arrah (47.65 per cent), Pataliputra (47.51 per cent), Nalanda 47.34 per cent, Sasaram-SC (47.23 per cent) and Patna Sahib (40.07 per cent).

The bigwigs whose fate will be decided in the election today are Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, his Congress rival Shatrughan Sinha (Patna Sahib), Central ministers Ashwini Kumar Chaubey (Buxar), Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav and his RJD rival Misa Bharti (Pataliputra), and R K Singh (Arrah) and former Lok Sabha Speaker and senior Congress leader Meira Kumar (Sasaram).

Polling began at 7 am across the eight constituencies and will continue till 6 pm. The results will be announced on May 23.