53% turnout in Ist phase of vote in Bihar

Patna: Despite several villages boycotting polls in the four Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar on development issues, around 53 per cent voting was recorded amid few incidents of clashes and malfunctioning of EVMs on Thursday.

Of the 70 lakh people, around 53 per cent voted by the end of the day in the Maoist-affected districts of Gaya, Nawada and Jamui in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state.

A few incidents of clashes were reported in some places, a poll official said. In Nawada, officials said, a youth was injured when some people opened fire at a booth during a clash between two groups.

Earlier in the day, crude bombs found near three polling booths in Gaya and one in Aurangabad caused brief panic. All bombs were defused by the police.

There were reports of glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) at some booths which were later fixed.

At more than half a dozen villages in Gaya, Jamui and Nawada, people boycotted elections protesting lack of roads, schools and health centres.

According to the State Election Commission officials, over 41,000 security personnel were deployed in the area that went to polls on Thursday. Three helicopters were providing air cover to security forces in these areas.

The voters have decided the fate of 44 candidates in the first phase of seven-phase parliamentary elections.