This story is from September 25, 2021

Rural polls Phase 1 mostly peaceful in 10 Bihar districts

Barring a few sporadic incidents of clashes, stone pelting and firing at some places, the first phase of panchayat polls passed off peacefully in 10 districts on Friday. The elections were held for 4,500 posts under 151 panchayats amid tight security.
Rural polls Phase 1 mostly peaceful in 10 Bihar districts
Picture used for representational purpose only
PATNA: Barring a few sporadic incidents of clashes, stone pelting and firing at some places, the first phase of panchayat polls passed off peacefully in 10 districts on Friday. The elections were held for 4,500 posts under 151 panchayats amid tight security.
The security personnel foiled attempts of booth capturing by the candidates and their supporters at some places. Around 14,000 polling and 10,000 security personnel drawn from different wings of the state police were deployed at 2,119 polling booths under 12 blocks in 10 districts, which went to the polls in the first phase.
The polling on booth numbers 144 and 145 at Bisaini village under Naugarh panchayat in Maoist-hit Aurangabad district remained disrupted for a while following clashes between two groups of people and subsequent stone pelting.

Aurangabad SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra, however, denied the report of police firing to quell the troublemakers, who reportedly attempted to capture polling booths. Aurangabad SDO Vijayant Kumar and SDPO Gautam Sharan Omi visited the polling booths. Similarly, reports of clashes and attempts to capture booths were received from Unthu panchayat in Aurangabad district.
In Nawada, a mukhiya candidate, Prince Singh, was arrested on charges of intimidating the voters at booth numbers 82 and 83 under Madhopur panchayat. Singh has also been accused of misbehaving with the police personnel.
State panchayati raj minister Samrat Choudhary cast his vote at polling booth number 4 at Lakhanpur village under Tarapur block in Munger district. Choudhary later told mediapersons that EVMs were being used for the first time in the panchayat election in the state.

There were 15,328 contestants in the fray for different posts of the three-tier panchayati raj institutions. Voting was held under Dawath and Sanjhauli in Rohtas district, Belaganj and Khijarsarai in Kaimur, Govindpur in Nawada, Kako in Jehanabad, Bandipur and Suryapur in Arwal, Tarapur in Munger, Sikandara in Jamui and Dhauraiya in Banka districts.
The EVMs were used for the election of mukhiyas, panchayat samiti members, panchayat members and zila parishad members. Elections were held through ballot papers for the posts of sarpanchs and panchs. State Election Commission officials said that arrangements of web casting and biometric attendance of the voters were made to maintain transparency and avoid bogus voting.
The voter turnout in Belaganj and Khizarsarai blocks of Gaya was 66% and 68%, respectively, till 5 pm. Gaya DM Abhishek Singh said five pink booths were made in each of the two blocks to encourage women voters.
(With inputs from Kumar Rajesh in Bhagalpur, Premendra Mishra in Aurangabad and Alok Kumar in Gaya)
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