Polling hours slashed in 9 Gaya seats

GAYA: As a precautionary measure, the Election Commission has slashed polling time by one to two hours in nine out of ten assembly constituencies in Gaya district. As against the normal polling period between 7am and 5pm, polling in these constituencies will end one or two hours early as most parts of the district is considered Maoist zone.
Gaya DM-cum-district election officer Sanjay Agrawal said polling in Belaganj and Wazirganj will end at 4pm while it will conclude by 3pm in Imamganj, Barachatti, Sherghati, Gurua, Bodh Gaya, Tekari and Atari.
The operation to sanitize the route of the poll parties and police patrol vehicles has been intensified following the recovery of a landmine under Barachatti police station area on Wednesday. Gaya SSP Manu Maharaaj said adequate deployment has been made to ensure peaceful election and instill confidence among the voters.
Security personnel also staged flag march as part of the confidence-building exercise. Altogether 26,73,969 voters, including 12,70,825 women and 906 third genders are to exercise their franchise on Friday to elect ten MLAs. Three of the ten seats are reserved for SC candidates.
Imamganj is the hot seat where former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi is taking on assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary. In Gaya Town, Prem Kumar of BJP is facing debutant Priye Ranjan Dimple of the Congress. But for Sherghati, where BJP rebel Manju Agrawal's presence has made the contest triangular, it is virtually direct fight between NDA and Mahagathbandhan candidates in the remaining nine constituencies.
BJP, JD(U), HAM-S and RJD are contesting four seats each while Congress and LJP are contesting two seats each. Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP is not contesting any seat in Gaya district.