50 per cent turnout in Palamu LS bypoll

Daltonganj, Mar 29 (UNI) Defying a CPI(Maoist)-sponsored bandh, about 50 per cent of an estimated 13.66 lakh electorate exercised their franchise as polling for the naxal-dominated Palamu Lok Sabha bypoll ended at 1600 hour today amid tight security.

Returning Officer Nagendra Prasad Singh told UNI that by the end of the polling, about 50 per cent turnout was recorded.

However, the figure might vary with details from remote areas still trickling in, he said adding polling was smooth.

A bomb exploded at Nawadih under Chainpur police station but caused no harm, police said.

Besides, voters of booth 162 at Saraiya village in Garwah district boycotted polling protesting against alleged lack of development.

Except for incidence of technical snags in EVMs at some booths, polling was peaceful, official sources said.

Altogether 15 candidates were in the fray. Polling was necessitated after Mr Manoj Bhuiyan (RJD) quit his Lok Sabha membership following the cash-for-query scam.

Despite the presence of a large number of aspirants, the main fight was apparently among the NDA, UPA and JVM (Democratic). The prominent three candidates are Jawahar Paswan (BJP), Prabhat Bhuiyan(JVM-D) and Ghuran Ram(RJD).

A bandh called by the proscribed CPI (Maoist) in the three districts of Garwah, Latehar and Palamu--that fall under the ambit of the Parliamentary seat--failed to evoke any response.

The bandh was called for alleged lackadaisical attitude of the district administration during the rescue operation in Garwah where 16 people were killed on March 27 after a bus, carrying about more than 30 polling personnel, fell into a rivulet, a release quoting the spokesman of the outfit said.

Security was kept X X X Eds: Here Pick up from para one, line one of CA 14, ELECTION-JHARKHAND-LEAD POLLING TWO LAST DALTONGANJ.

UNI