55 per cent turnout in Koderma bypoll

Koderma/Giridih, Nov 6 (UNI) Defying a blast, about 55 per cent of an estimated 13,50,000 electorate today exercised their franchise in the byelection to Koderma Parliamentary seat.

Except some group clashes between rival political parties and complaints about malfunctioning of EVMs, the polling was peaceful, official sources said.

Extra care was now being taken to transport the EVMs to strong room at Giridih as Hazaribagh-Giridih route is considered the most Naxalite-dominated patch.

Reports from Giridih said a bomb exploded at Chelliah school near a booth, injuring a person and added that about 100 cartridges were recovered from Bengabad.

The injured was hospitalised.

An EVM was snatched from booth number 128 where repolling would be held.

Another report from Koderma said polling could not begin at Ramnadih under Jainagar in the district as the EVMs did not function. However, after three hours the process resumed as EVMs were replaced.

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.

Another BJP activist Baidyanath Pandey was also detained for creating nuisance though he was released later.

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 by and large peaceful.

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 promised a fierce contest among the UPA, BJP, JVM and 11 other Independent candidates.

EVMs had been used in all the 1,618 polling booths, comprising 453 hyper-sensitive and 554 sensitive ones.

Besides, 33 companies of the para-military forces, 13 Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) companies and thousands of state policemen and hundreds of officers had been pressed into service to ensure a smooth election.

IAF helicopters since yesterday had been hovering to check infiltration from bordering districts.

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

The bypoll was being termed a ''litmus test'' to determine the future of Jharkhand politics.

UNI TEAM PRS SJC KD VV1801