Patna, september 16: An estimated 42 per cent of votes were cast in 11 of the 18 assembly constituencies in the second phase of the bypolls in Bihar on Tuesday which passed off peacefully.
“According to the reports, an estimated 42 per cent of the electors participated in today’s exercise”, state’s deputy chief electoral officer Kumar Anshumali said.
Voters boycotted the poll at more than six polling stations spread over the constituencies of Fulwari (6), two each in Ghosi and Begusarai to press for some local issue, Anshumali said.
There was no complaint from anywhere with regard to defects in electronic voting machines, he said.
The polling was “absolutely violence-free”, Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani said.
Over 75 preventive arrests were made from different places in the constituencies where more than 35 motorcycles used by anti-socials for making abortive bid to vitiate the poll were seized in the constituencies of Fulwari, Ghosi and Begusarai, he said.
“The boycott of the polls related to people’s protest on some local issues”, Neelmani said in reply to a query.
—Agencies