About 26.14% polling on seven seats in Bihar till 12 noon

Around 26.14 per cent polling was recorded till 12 noon in seven Lok Sabha seats of Bihar in the fourth phase of Parliamentary election in the state.

A total of 18.88 per cent polling was recorded at Madhepura constituency where JD(U) President Sharad Yadav is in the fray.

Madhubani saw 19 per cent voting while in Jhanjharpur it was 19 per cent, Darbhanga 15 per cent, Samastipur 17 per cent, Begusarai 22 per cent and Khagaria 16.98 per cent till 10 am, Election Commission statement said here.

Voting is being held under tight security arrangements.

Voters turnout was low in the morning and expected to pick up with the progress of the day.

Some elderly citizens were first to cast votes. An elderly woman travelled to a polling booth on crutches to exercise her franchise.

BJP candidate from Begusarai Bhola Singh stood in the queue like a commoner and cast his vote.

Prominent candidates in the fray are JD(U) President Sharad Yadav from Madhepura, who is being challenged by RJD’s Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, former Union minister and BJP leader Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav from Madhubani and cricketer-turned-BJP leader Kirti Azad from Darbhanga who will contest against former Union minister and RJD leader M A A Fatmi.

Stakes are high for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) which had won five of the seven seats in 2009 while rest two were with BJP. The seats with JD(U) last time were Madhepura, Jhanjharpur, Samastipur, Begusarai and Khagaria. Madhubani and Darbhanga were with BJP.

Bypoll is also being held in Sahebpur Kamal Assembly seat in Begusarai district following resignation of former minister Parveen Amanullah’s resignation from the Nitish Kumar cabinet.

A total of 15 per cent voting was recorded in the bypoll at Sahebpur Kamal till 10 AM.