Fourth phase of Bihar Assembly polls begins amid tight security

Patna, Nov 1 (ANI): Polling for the fourth phase of Bihar Assembly elections began on Monday morning amidst unprecedented security measures.

Voting will take place for 42 Assembly constituencies in this phase.

Over one crore electorates will decide the fate of 568 candidates including 58 women in this phase.

The polling, which started at 7 am, will continue till 5 pm except in 14 naxal affected assembly segments where it will end at 3 pm.

Prominent contestants include BJP stalwarts and ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Bhagalpur), Nand Kishore Yadav (Patna Sahib) Ramnarayan Mandal (Banka), besides JD(U) minister Damodar Raut.

Former CPI(M) MP Subodh Rai, who recently switched over to ruling JD(U), is in the fray from Sultanganj, while LJP president Ramvilas Paswan's brother and state party president Pashupati Kumar Paras is contesting from Alauli.

While JD(U) is contesting from 25 seats, ally BJP is contesting in the remaining 17.

RJD has fielded candidates in 26 and ally LJP in 16. The Congress is contesting from all 42 constituencies while the BSP is in the fray from 40 seats.

The Communist Party of India -Marxist Leninist is contesting for 15 seats, CPI for 13 and CPI (M) for six.

The first three phases of Bihar polls passed off peacefully. The fifth and sixth phase of elections are scheduled on November 9 and 20.

The State will elect a new 243-seat assembly in a staggered month-long polling in six phases in which over 55 million electorates are expected to cast their franchise.

Counting of votes will take place on November 24. (ANI)