Third phase of election to decide Lalu sons’ fate

Patna: With the high-voltage campaigning for the third phase of Bihar election ending on Monday, electoral officials said all preparations have been made in the 50 constituencies going to the polls on October 28. No less than 1,107 companies (each comprising about 100 personnel) of Central armed police forces (CAPF) and state cops will be deployed for the ground security while five helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) will keep a vigil from the sky, they said.
Surpassing records of the previous two phases, 808 candidates, including 71 women, are in the electoral ring from the six districts of Saran, Vaishali, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur and Buxar. About 1.46 crore electors, including 67.18 lakh women and 581 third gender voters, will exercise their franchise at 14,170 polling stations. More than 75,000 poll personnel and 3,228 micro observers have been deployed to ensure free and fair poll.
All eyes will be on RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s sons Tej Pratap (Mahua) and Tejaswi Prasad Yadav (Raghopur), who are making their electoral debut. Other high profile candidates include leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly and BJP’s Patna Sahib candidate Nand Kishore Yadav, BJP chief whip Arun Kumar Sinha from Kumhrar, minister and JD(U) candidate Shrawan Kumar from Nalanda, former ministers Brishen Patel (HAM-S) from Vaishali, Deputy Speaker Amarendra Pratap Singh of BJP from Ara and former minister and seven-term MLA S N Arya of BJP from Rajgir.
Former Union minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh (Congress) is taking on strongman Sunil Pandey’s wife Gita Pandey (LJP) and former state CPI (ML-Liberation) secretary Sudama Prasad in a triangular contest in Tarari. After quitting JD(U), bahubali MLA Anant Singh is contesting as an independent from Mokama. He is in jail. The fate of former MLC Ganga Prasad’s son Sanjiv Chaurasiya (BJP) and former Union minister CP Thakur’s son Vivek Thakur will also be sealed from Digha and Brahmpur, respectively. Interestingly, sitting women legislators Poonam Devi and Dilmani Devi were denied tickets from their respective seats.
Addressing a press meet on Monday, additional chief electoral officer (ACEO) of Bihar R Lakshmanan said, “Besides CAPF at every booth, a three-tier security arrangement has been put in place. There will also be patrolling by mounted police and 47 motorboats in the riverine areas.” Lakshmanan said 93.54% voters have received booth slips, which can also be used as a voting document. A public holiday has been declared in the six districts and all liquor shops in these constituencies have been shut till the completion of polling. State-level control room number 0612-2217788 will start functioning from D Tuesday itself.
While polling time in 40 constituencies is 7am to 5pm, it will conclude at 4pm in 10 constituencies which are moderately affected by Left wing extremists or are sensitive. They are Taraiya, Amnaur, Vaishali, Raghopur, Patepur, Islampur, Masaurhi, Paliganj, Agiaon and Tarari.