Polling to urban civic bodies in Bihar end peacefully

Patna, May 26 (UNI) Barring a death in group clashes, an estimated 55 per cent of 6.1 million electorate today exercised their franchise during the polling to 112 urban civic bodies across the state.

Secretary of state election commission Raghuvansh Kumar Singh said there had been no report of poll irregularities so far.

State home secretary Afzal Amanullah said that more than 1100 people were taken into police custody on charges of trying to disturb the election process during the polling and violation of the prohibitory orders in force.

More than forty vehicles were seized at various places across the state and cases were registered against the owners.

Meanwhile, police superintendent of Munger Vimal Kumar said that one person was killed while two others were injured in a group clash at ward No-32 under Kotwali police station. In another incident, one Nand Kishore Mandal sustained injuries in the clash between two rival groups at Muksuspur locality under Kotwali police station in the district, he added.

Earlier during the day, Additional police superintendent of Vaishali Anil Singh and his bodyguard survived an attempt on their lives at booth number 29/30 in ward-10 in Hajipur when trouble mongers triggered a powerful bomb explosion during municipal polls.

Altogether eight people including an RJD leader Shahid Jamal were arrested in connection with the blast.

"Mr Jamal was trying to influence the polling in favour of his brother Mohammad Shabir, who is a candidate for the local body in ward No.10'' police said.

In Nawada district, police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse rival groups engaged in clash following detection of a forged photo identity card from the possession of a voter, who was in the queue for his turn to caste vote at Moglakhar village.

According to reports received from Bhagalpur, six people including two policemen were injured in Ward-42 when two rival groups clashed following dispute over the alleged bogus voting at booth No.42 in the area. Police lathicharged to scare away the rival groups and arrested 38 people in connection with this incident.

In Dehri-on-Sone, two candidates and a RJD leader were taken into police custody at separate places, on charges of influencing the polling.

UNI