Patna: An estimated 61 per cent votes were on Thursday polled in the urban bodies elections in Bihar which passed off peacefully barring stray incidents of violence.
The polling for seven municipal corporation, 32 zila parishads and 67 nagar panchayats spread over 36 districts passed off peaceful barring some stray incidents of violence and poll-related offences, state Election Commissioner HC Sirohi told reporters here.
The voters turn out was 60.95 per cent, he said.
Purnia recorded the highest voters turn out at 72 per cent and Patna the lowest with 46.5 per cent, Sirohi said.
Altogether 11,173 candidates were in the fray from 2494 wards of municipal corporations, zila parishads and nagar panchayats, he said.
A total of 886 offenders, including seven candidates, were arrested and 521 vehicles and Rs 37,800 in cash were seized, he said.
The SEC said that the polling at the ward number two and 33 of the Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation were countermanded and repolling would be held on May 22.
A presiding officer Ajay Prasad was arrested on charges of irregularities at a polling centre in Nalanda district, while Gaya`s outgoing deputy mayor Mohan Srivastava was detained at Rampur police station for attempts to influence polling.
Muzaffarpur municipal corporation`s outgoing deputy mayor Nasim Ahmed and his supporters were arrested for damaging EVMs at several polling stations.
Several persons were injured in group clashes in Bhagalpur district over change in the number of polling stations at the last minute.
District Magistrate NM Lal and Superintendent of Police KS Anupam brought the situation under control.
There were also reports of poll-related violence in Patna and Gaya districts.
The Muzaffarpur police recovered five crude bombs from the Abida high school premises under Mithanpura police station area in Muzaffarpur district, Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar said.
In Jamui, a presiding officer Naresh Kumar, posted at a polling centre under Jhajha nagar panchayat was detained after he was found misbehaving with voters in an inebritated condition. Kumar was replaced.
In Nalanda district, a constable Avdesh Kumar, on duty at the polling centre in Imadpur locality of the Biharsharif Municipal Corporation died due to heart attack.
PTI
