Campaign for Patna West Assembly segment ends

Patna, Apr 22 (UNI) The campaign for the by-elections for Patna West Assembly constituency, slated for polling on April 24, ended here this evening.

State election sources said altogether 5,12,506 voters, including 2,92,068 males and 2,20,438 female voters would decide the political fate of 13 candidates in the Patna West segment.

The sources said voters would exercise their franchise in 531 polling booths from 0700 hrs to 1700 hrs on April 24. A total number of 584 EVMs had been arranged for the polling.

The sources said Nitin Navin of the BJP and Ajay Kumar Singh of the Congress, besides three candidates of other registered parties and 8 independents are in the fray for the byelection, necessitated following the sudden demise of Mr Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha who represented the constituency.

Several prominent leaders of the BJP and JD(U), including that of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, made hectic campaign in favour of Nitin Navin, son of late Mr Naivin Kishore Prasad Sinha.

The Congress also left no stone unturned for its candidate Ajay Kumar Singh and conducted hectic campaign in cooperation with its major ally, the RJD.

The other candidates preferred door to door campaign. However, Nitin Navin was maintaining an edge over them as sympathy wave was in his favour following death of his father in March.

Meanwhile, the state administration had made all arrangements for the byelections. All polling booths would be manned by armed police forces. Prohibitory orders would be clamped in the constituency area from this evening till the end of election on April 24.

Sources at the state headquarters said security had been tightened in Patna West assembly segment. Sources said the borders of Patna district would remain sealed on the date of polling and the offices and other institutions would remain closed on the polling day.

UNI RS KK KLC1804