EC recommends repoll in 30 stations in Bihar

Election officials on Saturday recommended repoll for 30 polling stations in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bihar held on April 24.

Seven constituencies - Supaul, Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Banka – had gone to polls in this phase. Of the polling stations recommended for repoll, 22 are in Katihar parliamentary constituency from where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Tariq Anwar is pitted against BJP's Nikhil Kumar Choudhary and Ram Prakash Mahto of Janata Dal (United).

"Among the rest of the polling stations, six are in Banka and two are in Supaul. The Election Commission (EC) will take the final decision and announce the repoll date later on," Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshmanan told reporters.

Meanwhile, female voters have outnumbered men in exercising their franchise in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls. According to data provided by the EC, 64.76 per cent female voters participated in the polling in comparison to 59.63 per cent of male voters. "The voting pattern is separate for every area. More females casting their votes in comparison to males could be because of temporary migration of men from these areas for work," said Lakshmanan.

Of the seven parliamentary constituencies, the biggest difference was noticed in Supaul where 68.52 per cent female voters cast their ballots as against 58.47 male voters.

Women voters lagged behind men only in Bhagalpur constituency with 57.17 per cent as against 58.51 per cent men voters.

The election officials informed that flying squads, static surveillance teams, as well as, police and excise departments have seized over Rs 5 crore cash till now along with 613 illegal firearms, 4,091 cartridges, over 12,000 detonators, 129 kilograms explosives and 3.02 lakh litres of illicit liquor. These were allegedly meant to be used during the elections to influence the voters.