LS polls: high turnout brisk polling in eastern states

Odisha recorded 60 rpt 60 per cent polling till 4:00 pm and there was brisk voting in Jharkhand, Bihar and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the third phase of polling for 21 Lok Sabha seats and 70 assembly constituencies in Odisha in eastern India.
Andamans recorded the region's highest turnout of 55 per cent, Jharkhand 50 per cent and Bihar 46.89 per cent.
Polling was preceded by violence in Bihar with two CRPF personnel killed and seven injured in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists near Sawa Lakh Baba Mandir at the entrance of Bhimbandh jungle in Jamui parliamentary constituency in Munger district at 5:30 AM, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Khargpur, Ranjan Kumar, told PTI.

The CRPF personnel killed in the blast were identified as head constable Ravindra Rai and constable Sone Gora, Kumar said.
In Gaya, the police seized and defused six can bombs weighing 30 kg each from Banke Bazar area under Imamganj assembly segment, which is part of Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat, Gaya senior superintendent of police Nishant Tiwari said.
In Jharkhand, Maoists exploded a series of landmines in the forests of Latehar district and exchanged gunfire with security personnel before polling began in the Chatra Lok Sabha seat but there was no casualty, Latehar Superintendent of Police Michael S Raj told PTI.

In Odisha, suspected Maoists pulled out polling personnel from a vehicle in Mathili area in Malkangiri and burnt four EVMs meant for four booths late last night, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Akhileswar Singh said.