An estimated 13 per cent of the 60.07 lakh electorate cast their votes in 26 assembly constituencies in the sixth and final phase of the Bihar elections till 1000 hours on saturday, amid a poll boycott call by Maoists who triggered a mine explosion in Gaya district injuring a securityman.
Voting, which began on a dull note this morning, gradually picked up with a large number of people, including women, queueing up before polling stations.
Prominent among the 426 candidates in the fray in the last phase are Speaker and JD(U) leader Uday Narayan Choudhary (Imamganj), BJP minister Awadhesh Narayan Singh (Dehri), JD(U) ministers Chhedi Paswan (Mohania) and Anil Kumar (Tekari), former Union minister and RJD leader Kanti Singh (Karakat), besides senior RJD leaders Shakeel Ahmed Khan (Sherghati), Suresh Paswan (Kutumba) and Iliyas Hussain (Dehri).
A railway protection security force constable suffered splinter injuries when Maoists detonated a pressure mine while a patrol was crossing a hilly dry rivulet near barachatti police station area in Gaya district this morning, director general of police Neelmani said.
Securitymen seized some "dud bombs" at three booths in Kasma in Aurangabad district and at Ghatera booth under Guraru police station in Gaya district this morning, Mr Neelmani said.
Maoists exchanged fire with security personnel at Matiawan in Sasaram, but no one was injured, he said.
Altogether 35,000 security personnel and four BSF helicopters have been deployed as part of tight security arrangements for the elections.
The four helicopters, including an MI-17 and a Dhruv, are keeping air surveillance in Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Buxar and Kaimur districts with Special Task Force commandos aboard.
Since polling is taking place in the areas which have a record of Maoist violence, the police are extra vigilant this time, Mr Neelmani said.
Polling is being held in the Maoist-affected constituencies between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm, while in the rest of the areas it will be held between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Seven poll personnel were injured when a tractor-trolley collided with a truck near Chand Behri village in Aurangabad assembly constituency, officials said. A junior engineer on poll duty was injured when an autorickshaw overturned when he was going to a booth in Sasaram constituency, sources said.
In sherghati assembly constituency in Gaya district, polling was delayed at booths 233 and 234 as poll personnel reached late, official sources said.
Polling was reported to be smooth in other constituencies in Gaya, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Rohtas and Buxar districts.
JD-U is contesting from 16 seats and its ally BJP in 10 in this phase, while RJD is contesting in 22 seats and alliance partner LJP in four. The congress and BSP have put up candidates in all 26 seats. The NCP is contesting from 17 seats, CPI seven and its electoral ally CPI-M two.