Moderate voting was reported in 47 assembly constituencies in Bihar where polling began on Thursday morning for the first phase amidst strict security measures.According to official sources, an estimated 8 to 10 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the 47 constituencies spread over eight districts till 0900 hrs.
Enthusiasm among voters was noticed at most of the booths in Madhubani, Madhepura, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Araria and Saharsa districts where many elderly women queued up in large numbers even before voting began at 7 am.
Initially, problems in EVMs were reported from a number of booths in Supaul, Saharsa and Madhepura, but they were promptly attended to and polling continued without any disturbance, the sources said.
A presiding officer died of cardiac arrest at a booth at Pranpur in Katihar district before polling. A replacement was sent and polling continued at the booth as per schedule.
Around 1.07 crore voters, including 50.2 lakh women and 3,829 service voters, are expected to exercise their franchise at 10,454 polling centres in the state.
Prominent among the 631 contestants in the fray are senior Janata Dal(United) ministers Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Narendra Narain Yadav, Renu Kumari, Hari Prasad Sah, Congress nominee Ranjeet Ranjan, wife of former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, state Congress chief Choudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser and Lovely Anand, the wife of former MP Anand Mohan.
The Indo-Nepal border areas of Madhubani, Supaul, Kishanganj and Araria districts have been sealed, while helicopters with special task force personnel of Bihar police maintained air surveillance over the booths to prevent disturbances, DGP Neelmani said.
While 85 per cent of booths are being manned by central paramilitary forces and armed police from other states, the remaining are being guarded by the Bihar Military Police, the DGP said.
State Chief Electoral Officer S K Rakesh said the EC has introduced live webcast at 20 per cent of the booths and the entire process will be videographed.
Special ramps and braille-EVMs have been arranged for the physically and visually challenged voters.
Meanwhile, a relative of CPI-M candidate in Purnia, Amit Sarkar, alleged that she was pressurised by a securityman to vote for BJP.
"We are looking into her complaint," EC sources said.
Reports of election boycott were received from a couple of booth in Alamnagar and Jokihat assembly constituencies, besides Parral in Madhubani district.
"No development, no vote," said the voters who stayed away from the exercise.
