Patna, Oct 22 (UNI) Polling for the biennial elections to the four seats of Graduate constituency and an equal number of Teachers' constituency of Bihar Legislative Council is underway amid tight security arrangements.

According to the election office sources, polling which began at 8 a.m. would continue till 5 p.m.

Polling is being conducted for the first time under covid-19 pandemic.

Long queues of voters were seen at the polling booths where all guidelines related to coronavirus infection were being followed.

Social distancing was being maintained, sanitizers, masks and gloves were being used at every polling booth.

Altogether, 59 candidates including lone woman candidate were trying their luck from Patna , Tirhut, Darbhanga and Kosi graduate constituencies whereas from Patna , Saran , Tirhut and Darbhanga teacher's constituencies 43 candidates including three women have thrown their hats in the biennial election.

According to the information shared by the election commission, 4 lakh 7 thousand 889 electorates including 3 lakh 7 thousand 363 male and 1 lakh 480 female would elect their representatives for the

graduate constituencies, while 40 415 voters including 31 thousand 694 male and 8 thousand 715 female would exercise their franchise to elect their representatives for teacher's constituencies.

Prominent candidates in the fray include Neeraj Kumar from Patna graduate constituency, Dilip Kumar Chaudhary from Darbhanga graduate constituency, Devesh Chandra Thakur from Tirhut Graduate constituency and Dr N K Yadav of Kosi Graduate constituency, while Nawal Kishore Yadav of Patna teachers' constituency, Madan Mohan Jha of Darbhanga teachers' constituency, Sanjay Kumar Singh of teachers' constituency and Kedar Pandey of Saran teachers' constituency.

Their term had ended on May 6.

Election to these seats was to be held on April 3 but it was deferred due to COVID 19 pandemic.

Counting of votes would be done on November 12.

UNI RS AND