55% turnout in first phase of Bihar panchayat polls; one killed

Patna: Stray incidents of violence, in which one person was killed, marred the first phase of the three-tier Bihar panchayat polls which recorded a 55 per cent voter turnout.

A presiding officer also died of heart attack at Patori block of Samastipur district but the polling process was not affected, state election commissioner said.

One person was killed when two groups clashed with firearms at Daulatpura village in Hishua block of Nawada district while a few others sustained injuries, the SEC A K Chauhan said.

Nawada SDPO Sanjay Kumar Pandey said the deceased was identified as Sunil Kumar Singh and three person who also sustained injuries in the clash were admitted to a hospital.

Chauhan said Prof Anupam Kumar deputed as presiding officer at polling station number 185 of Patori block of Samastipur district had a heart attack in the morning and was hospitalised where he died.

The incident did not affect the polling as the presiding officer was replaced, he said.

The polling by and large passed off peacefully and a total of 55 per cent of voters' turnout was recorded in the first phase, Chauhan told reporters.
 He said the voting percentage may slightly increase once the final figures reach the Commission.

Polling in first phase was held in 60 blocks of 38 districts where 55 per cent of 61,25,167 voters exercised their franchise, he said.

Altogether 310 persons were arrested, while 16 vehicles and 10.8 litres of illicit liquor were seized, the SEC said.

Chauhan said the Commission received reports of destruction of ballot papers from Gaya and Jamui districts.

Some people forcibly put ballot papers in the ballot box at a polling station in Kormathu panchayat of Gaya district, he said, adding that a few ballot papers were missing while there is a report of seal of a ballot box being broken.

It has been learnt that some naxalites attacked a polling station in Chakai block of Jamui district and threw ballot papers into a well, he said.

"We have sought report from District Magistrates in both the cases. Repolling will be ordered only after going through the reports," Chauhan said.