Bihar conducts fifth phase of panchayat polls
May 3rd, 2011 - 1:35 pm ICT by IANSPatna, May 3 (IANS) Voting for the fifth phase of the Bihar panchayat polls was held amid tight security Tuesday, officials said.
The elections started at 7 a.m. and voters were seen queueing up at polling booths despite boycott call by Maoists.
Bihar police chief Neelmani said that polling was underway peacefully with no reports of violence.
He said that security forces, including central paramilitary troopers, had been deployed at polling booths to ensure free and fair polls.
Voting is being held in 51 blocks, including eight Maoist-affected, in 37 districts in the fifth phase to elect 25,980 village council posts. There are 85,403 candidates in the fray.
Till date, nearly 3.89 lakh ‘troublemakers and habitual offenders’ have signed bonds promising not to disrupt the panchayat polls in Bihar, police said.
The first round of Bihar’s 10-phase panchayat polls saw a police officer and a woman voter being killed in a Maoist attack in Jamui district. Around half a dozen people were injured in clashes between rival groups in various parts of the state.
In the second round, a man was killed. But the third and fourth phase passed off peacefully, except for sporadic incidents of violence.
The Maoists have issued a poll boycott call and threatened to disrupt the elections.
The 10-phased panchayat polls will end May 28.
- Seventh round of Bihar panchayat polls continues peacefully (Lead) - May 09, 2011
- 63 percent vote in Bihar local polls (Second Lead) - May 03, 2011
- Tenth round of Bihar panchayat polls under way - May 18, 2011
- Bihar holds fourth phase of panchayat polls - Apr 30, 2011
- Maoists kill two officials during Bihar panchayat polls - May 15, 2011
- Bihar holds second phase of panchayat polls - Apr 24, 2011
- Third phase of Bihar panchayat polls proceeds peacefully - Apr 27, 2011
- Nearly 60 percent turnout in Bihar local polls (Lead) - May 03, 2011
- 56 percent turnout in fourth phase of Bihar panchayat polls (Lead) - Apr 30, 2011
- Bihar panchayat polls' ninth phase marred by Maoist violence (Lead) - May 15, 2011
- Bihar panchayat polls see 60 percent turnout (Lead) - Apr 27, 2011
- Poll panel warns against influencing vote counting in Bihar - May 21, 2011
- Sporadic violence mars Bihar second phase polls (Second Lead) - Apr 24, 2011
- Sporadic violence mars Bihar's panchayat polls (Lead) - Apr 24, 2011
- 62 percent voting in sixth phase of Bihar panchayat polls (Lead) - May 06, 2011
Tags: bonds, clashes, fifth phase, fourth phase, habitual offenders, half a dozen, maoist, maoists, police chief, police officer, poll boycott, polling booths, polls, rival groups, security forces, sporadic incidents, tight security, troublemakers, violence, woman voter