Polling begins in Gaya

Gaya: Voting has begun amid tight security in four Naxalite-hit constituencies in Bihar's Gaya district.

Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar Jha said that 65 companies of the central para-military forces comprising over 6,000 personnel have been deployed at 1005 polling stations.

The constituencies where polling is taking place are Gaya (town), Gaya (mofussil), Belaganj and Bodh Gaya constituencies.

Polling in these places, scheduled for October 18 was postponed till Friday by the Election Commission to facilitate the effective deployment of security forces.

Four IAF choppers will patrol the skies in the four hypersensitive constituencies where Naxalites have given a call for a boycott of elections.

There are 43 candidates in the fray, including nine each in Belaganj, Gaya (town) and Bodh Gaya besides 16 in Gaya(mofussil).

Repolling is also being held in 130 booths spread over 26 Assembly constituencies in Bihar today where polling was conducted in the first phase on October 18.

Repolling is taking place in 18 booths of Nabinagar, followed by Deo (14), Aurangabad and Obra (11 each), Chakai (10), Arwal (09), Nawada (08), Goh (07), Dehri, Rafiganj (six each), Govindpur, Hisua, Katoria (four each), Jhajha, Sahar (three each), Piro (two), Ara, Sandesh, Bikramganj, Dinara, Sasaram, Kurtha, Warsaliganj, Rajauli, Amarpur and Mohania (one each).

The Election Commission ordered a re-poll in these places following complaints of electoral malpractices and defects in electronic voting machines.