This story is from April 24, 2019

Supaul turnout highest in Bihar

Supaul turnout highest in Bihar
Voters at a polling station in Forbesganj on Tuesday
MADHEPURA/ARARIA/JHANJHARPUR/KHAGARIA: The third phase of Lok Sabha elections in the five constituencies of Bihar on Tuesday passed off peacefully barring a few incidents of poll boycotts and glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The maximum 62.80% of the electors exercised their franchise in Supaul, followed by 62.34% in Araria, 59.12% in Madhepura, 58.83% in Khagaria and 56.92% in Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Overall, the 60% voter turnout in the five seats was 0.92% more than in the 2014 parliamentary elections.
Weather, it seems, played the role of facilitator as smart shower lashed the high-profile Madhepura constituency early morning and brought down temperature. The Yadav-dominated seat has a triangular contest between sitting MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, Sharad Yadav of RJD and Dinesh Chandra Yadav of JD(U).
Women voters reached their respective polling booths early in the morning to cast their votes. Homemaker Rekha Ganguly told this newspaper at SNMP Law College booth in Madhepura town: “I voted for a strong government at the Centre.”
First-time voters, particularly girls, were seen more enthusiastic. “I am feeling proud after casting my vote. Now, I am also actively involved in deciding who will form the next government. I want security for women and jobs for youth from the next government,” said Deepa at model polling booth on Parwati Science College premises in Madhepura town.
An 80-year-old voter with disabilities was taken to this booth by his neighbours. He was unable to pronounce even his name, but showed strength to exercise his franchise.

Sushila Devi at Adarsh Middle School booth said she voted on the basis of housing and toilet schemes. She belonged to a below poverty line family.
The constituency in Kosi region comprises six assembly segments — three each in Madhepura and Saharsa districts. Madhepura Behariganj and Alamnagar assembly segments are in Madhepura district, while Saharsa, Sonbersa and Mahisi are in Saharsa district.
In Muslim-dominated Araria constituency, voting started amid drizzle and cool breeze. Polling was peaceful barring reports of EVM malfunctioning at more than 12 places and police assault on RJD worker Masoom at booth numbers 213, 214 at Udahat under the Mahalgaon police station area and poll boycott by the villagers at booth number 79 and 80 at Sohendar under the Palasi police station area.
Paramilitary forces were deployed at every vulnerable and sensitive booth in the district. There was a direct fight between BJP nominee Pradip Kumar Singh and RJD candidate Sarfaraz Alam.
“The margin of votes to win this time is likely to be less than in the 2018 byelection,” said Tirtha Nand Yadav of Raniganj. Sugamlal Yadav said he voted for development. Majority of the voters in Araria Assembly segment, however, did not open their cards.
Jagdish Rishideo, a Musahar caste leader in Raniganj (R) assembly segment said people of his community were satisfied with the works done by the government.
Barring a few incidents of technical faults in the EVMs in the morning, polling was also peaceful in Jhanjharpur parliamentary constituency. The discernible trend among voters was one of sticking to overall caste-preferred alliances with minor variations here and there owing to local and personal reasons. While the main battle seemed to be between JD(U)’s Ram Prit Mandal and RJD’s Gulab Yadav, former Union minister and five-time MP from here, Devendra Prasad Yadav, seemed to chip in to feebly make it seem a triangular contest.
NDA nominee Mandal is a recent entrant to JD(U) and is the ‘pramukh’ of Khutauna block, while Gulab is a first-time MLA from Jhanjharpur assembly constituency.
Caste-affiliations of the competing alliances — NDA comprising BJP-JD(U)-LJP and Mahagathbandhan of RJD-Cong-RLSP-VIP-HAM (S) -- are likely to play a dominant role, irrespective of sporadic minor cracks in them, in deciding the winner.
Though polling started on a brisk note in the morning, it slowed down a bit in the noon, but picked up again in the afternoon as long queues of women were seen at many polling booths in the constituency.
Poll boycotts were also reported from a few places. The district administration, however, persuaded the villagers of Bharhar in Laukaha assembly segment to cast votes after about four hours of their boycott. They were agitated over the poor condition of roads leading to the village. Though not resorting to poll boycott, the villagers of Shishbari in the same assembly segment complained of the state government’s insensitivity in responding to their repeated requests for improving the condition of hospital in the village.
Shila Devi, a subaltern housewife of Magarpatti village in Rajnagar block, along with four other women, said she voted on development issue.
Sunil Jha, a first-time voter of Shishbari, said: “I am satisfied with the current and strong leadership in the country.”
Meanwhile, contrary to the apprehension of violence in the Maoist-infested and riverine areas, polling passed off peacefully in Khagaria parliamentary constituency with sporadic incidents of skirmishes, clashes and glitches in the EVMs for a short while.
“We had made elaborate security arrangements in the Maoist-hit areas for smooth polling,” Khagaria SP Meenu Kumari said.
Altogether 24 companies of paramilitary forces, besides three sections of Mounted Military Police (MMP) and a chopper were pressed into service to keep a close watch on the troublemakers, she added.
The voters boycotted polls at booth number 65 of Chautham block under Beldaur assembly segment in protest against lack of proper roads. Altogether 37 people were arrested on the charge of violating the poll process while 45 vehicles and cash amounting to Rs2.81 lakh were also seized, official sources said.
Women outnumbered men in the first couple of hours of polling. Young girls and women were seen in two or three rows in front of several booths in contrast to single line of men.
There were a number of first-time girl voters at booth number 66 of Khagaria assembly segment. Pushpa Bharti (21) of Sanhauli village said she wanted proper educational infrastructure and employment opportunity for the young generation.
Sanya Shirmore (20) of Gulabnagar at the same polling booth said she voted for a stable government at the Centre.
Sukhdeo Singh, a senior citizen of Khagaria town, said he has been voting for nearly six decades. “I vote because every vote counts,” he said.
Khagaria Lok Sabha seat comprises six assembly segments of Alouli (SC), Khagaria, Beldaur and Parbatta in Khagaria, Simri Bakhtiyarpur in Saharsa and Hasanpur in Samastipur districts.
The main contest is between sitting LJP MP Choudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser and Vikassheel Insaan Party(VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni.
Khagaria seat is supposed to be a litmus test for LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan, who hails from Shaharbanni village under the Alouli assembly segment of this constituency, as well as CM Nitish Kumar as JD(U) represents five of its six assembly segments.
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