45% turnout till afternoon, polling mostly peaceful

Koderma/Giridih, Nov 6 (UNI) About 45 per cent of an estimated 13,50,000 voters exercised their right to franchise in the by-election to the Koderma Parliamentary seat till the afternoon.

A report from Giridih said a bomb exploded at Chelliah school near a booth, injuring a person. About 100 cart ridges were recovered from Bengabad, the report added.

Another report from Koderma said polling could not begin at Ramnadih under Jainagar in the district as the EVMs did not function.

Voters complained that EVMs were not functioning properly in many booths.

Earlier, BJP MLA from Bermo Yogendra Prasad Batul was arrested at Chanwara for moving in his car without any valid pass.

Vehicles of polling officials, security agencies and press were only allowed to ply.

Except for some group clashes between CPI(ML) and Jharkhand Vikash Morcha at some pockets, polling was more or less peaceful so far.

Former Chief Minister and JVM president Babulal Marandi cast his vote at booth number 74 under Khoro and said the polling was the ''people's aspiration for a change''.

The poll will witness a fierce contest among UPA, BJP, JVM and 11 other independent candidates.

EVMs have been used in all 1,618 polling booths,, comprising 453 hypersensitive and 554 sensitive ones.

As many as 33 companies of the para-military forces, 13 of the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) companies and thousands of state police peronnel and hundreds of officers have been pressed into service to ensure a smooth election. IAF helicopters, since yesterday, have been hovering to check infiltration from bordering districts.

Of the total six districts, Dhanwar and Bagodar are considered most insurgent-dominated places in which 111 and 184 polling booths have been identified as hyper-sensitive respectively.

The bypoll has been termed a ''litmus test'' to determine the future of Jharkhand politics.

Of the total voters, 238,584 are in Koderma, 236,554 in Barkathha, 222709 in Dhanwar, 237,619 in Bagodar, 223,653 in Jamua while 189,972 electors are registered in Gandey.

UNI TEAM PRS KK VD BS1655