Stage set for final phase of polling in Bihar

Patna: Elaborate security arrangements have been made in 57 constituencies of Bihar for the fifth and final phase of assembly elections going to take place on Thursday.

The polling will take place in Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Madhepura, Saharsa and Darbhanga districts.

A total of 15,543,594 electors are eligible to vote to decide the fate of 827 candidates, including 58 women.

103 companies of paramilitary forces have been in deployed in Darbhanga while in Madhubani 111 companies have been deployed.

In Darbhanga District at Tilkeshwar-sthan area, companies of the CRPF have been deployed.

Heavy arrangements have been done in Kosi-Border area region to conduct free and fare electioneering in the concluding phase of polling. Out of seven districts of this border area, Kishanganj, Araria and Purnea districts have been identified as sensitive.

Additional companies of para-military forces have been deployed in these areas. Videography and web-casting will be conducted in all vulnerable polling booths.

Polling will start at 7 a.m. and continue till 5 p.m. in the evening. Due to security reasons polling in Semri Bakhtiyarpur and Mahisi constituencies will end at 3 p.m. tomorrow.

A voter turnout of 57.59 percent was recorded in the fourth phase, 53.32 in third phase, 55 in second phase and 57 in the first phase of the assembly elections.

The counting of votes for all the phases will be held on Sunday and the result of the elections will be known by the evening.