Polling agent shot at in Bihar's Nalanda

PATNA: Amid reports of violence from different polling booths in urban local body elections, voting in Biharsharif Municipal Corporation and five nagar panchayats (Sarmera, Asthawan, Pawapuri, Rahui and Parwalpur) in Nalanda district concluded on Wednesday.
Miscreants shot at and injured a polling booth agent at booth number 4 of ward no. 14 at Mirdad in Biharsharif. The victim was identified as Aqib alias Raju. He was referred to PMCH. In a separate incident, six persons were injured in group clashes at Baignabad, Patel Nagar and Sakunat in Biharsharif.
Nalanda DM Shashank Shubhankar said polling at 401 booths were by and large peaceful. There are 22 candidates for Biharsharif mayor post.
There was 51.32% turnout in BMC area and 73% in Pawapuri Nagar Panchayat. Sarmera recorded 68.09% voter turnout while Parwalpur, Rahui and Asthawan recorded 69.20%, 68.79% and 65.45%, respectively.
In Bhojpur, election in 45 wards of Ara Municipal Corporation besides nagar panchayats of Koilwar and Garhani passed off peacefully. Four persons were detained for violating the electoral norms.
Deputy election officer of Bhojpur, Anil Kumar Rai, said 60.76% voters turned out in Bhojpur district. In Ara, the turnout was 54.84%, while Koilwar Nagar Panchayat recorded 64.22% and Garhani Nagar Panchayat 63.23% polling.
Overall 63.62% voters exercised their democratic right in Gaya district. The polling percentage was low in GMC at 49% while Dobhi and Fatehpur recorded 76.93% and 67.42% turnout, respectively.
No untoward incident was reported in Bettiah Nagar Nigam, which had 50.96% voting compared to 78.3% in Lauria Nagar Panchayat.
The polling in Bihariganj, Murligand and Singheshwar in Madhepura passed off peacefully. Sighwshwar had 71% turnout and Behariganj and Murliganj around 64%.
In Khagaria, DM Alok Ranjan Ghosh said the voter turnout in Alouli Nagar Panchayat was 68.24%, in Beldaur 70.36% and in Mansi 65.88%.
Sitamarhi Municipal Corporation polls were held in 46 wards. DM Manish Kumar Meena and SP Har Kishore Rai detained an election agent with cellphone and cash at Laxmi school polling station. Thirty candidates are for mayor seat, 33 for deputy mayor and 358 for 46 ward councillors.
(With Inputs from Farrukh Nadim in Bihar Sharif, Praveen in Ara, Alok Kumar in Gaya, Tirthraj Kushwaha in Bagaha, D N Saha in Madhepura, N P Thakur in Khagaria and Shyam Kishor Singh in Sitamarhi)