TWO GROUPS CLASHED DURING VOTING AT TARARI ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCY IN BHOJPUR DISTRICT

TWO GROUPS CLASHED DURING VOTING AT TARARI ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCY IN BHOJPUR DISTRICT

13-NOV-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------Four persons were injured in a group clash at Polling Booth No 223 at Dharmpura village of Bihata Panchayat today in connection with pressurizing voters to cast their votes in favour of a particular party during voting though the situation was brought under control immediately and polling process is going on smoothly. The injured were admitted to the Primary Health Centre. ASP K K Pathak along with police officers arrived at the spot to maintain law and order. Even the DIG, Shahabad range Navin Chandra Jha, Bhojpur DM Tanay Sultaniya and the SP Mister Raj are patrolling the area to keep close vigil on the election process and also to ensure free, fair voting. The injured were identified a Sunil Kumar 48, Himanshu Kumar 15, Ranjeet Singh 30 of Dharmpura village. Mobile of Pankaj Kumar was snatched in the melee.

Sudama Prasad was an MLA of the CPI-ML from the Tarari Assembly Constituency and after his election as the MP from the Ara Parliamentary Constituency, he relinquished the Tarari Assembly Constituency and so midterm election is going on today for the MLA from there today. At least 10 candidates are in the fray but the main contest is said to be in between the NDA and Grand Alliance. 181 of 332 polling booths are declared sensitive and 3,08907 including 145625 women and 3105 PWD voters are to exercise their franchise. Webcasting has been ensured at 166 polling booths. The voting would continue till 6pm.

Bhojpur district administration has made elaborate security arrangement for the conduct of free, fair and peaceful election. 43 sector magistrates, 15 zonal magistrates, 7 sub super zonal magistrates and two senior magistrates along with sufficient police force including 8 companies of CISF and 800 personnel of paramilitary force have been deployed. Pushpa High School, Piro has been made ideal woman polling booth where all the polling officers are women, Bhojpur SP has formed 7 biker parties and in every party 10 police personnel on five motorcycles will vigil the situation. The SP said that 69 persons have been booked under the CCA and 14 illegal arms have been seized.

On the other hand, as per report, Bhojpur district administration stopped voting at booth Nos 212/216 of Sikarhatta block due to anomalies in the voter lists. It was blamed that some supporters of the NDA are involved in bogus voting at booth Nos 225, 226, 227 and they are also influencing the voters in one way or others. Even polling agent is said to are hand in glove with the booth grabbers at Booth No 51 at Nonar.