623 candidates, including 46 women at 10,315 polling stations in six districts.
Patna,Polling
began this morning amid tight security for the second phase of the elections to
45 Assembly seats in Bihar, under the shadow of a poll-boycott call by Maoists.
An
electorate of 8.44 lakh are expected to exercise their franchise deciding the
fate of 623 candidates, including 46 women at 10,315 polling stations in six
districts.The Congress and the BSP are contesting all the seats. The ruling
JD(U) is contesting 28 seats and its ally BJP 17. The RJD is in the fray in 34
constituencies, while LJP in 11.CPI-M and CPI have put up eight candidates
each, while CPI-ML (Liberation) is contesting in 11 seats.The polling is being
held in the backdrop of Maoists triggering a landmine blast in Sheohar district
on Friday night killing six policemen.
The Election
Commission has changed the poll timings in some constituencies after the
violence.Maoists' posters have appeared on government buildings and polling
stations in East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur districts.Security
has been stepped up with Nepal being sealed and patrolling on the ground and
air surveillance intensified, Director General of Police Neelmani said.Political
stalwarts whose fate will be decided include state RJD chief Abdul Bari
Siddiqui (Alinagar), his JD(U) counterpart Vijay Kumar Choudhary (Sarairanjan),
ministers Ramnath Thakur (Samastipur) and Shahid Ali Khan (Sursand).LJP supremo
Ram Vilas Paswan's brother Ramchandra Paswan will be taking on CLP leader Ashok
Kumar in Kusheshwa Asthan.
RJD Chief
Whip Ramchandra Purve is contesting from Parihar, while former union minister M
A A Fatmi's son Fraz Fatmi is in the fray from Kevati.Central paramilitary
forces have been deployed at 85 polling stations besides armed police from
other states and the Bihar Military Police and District Armed Police, Neelmani
said.Senior state officials, including the IG and Commissioners of Tirhut
Division will keep surveillance from the air with Special Task Force personnel,
he said.
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