Lok Sabha polls: 8.08% polling in 8 seats of Bihar till 9 am

An estimated 8.08 per cent of the 1,52,52,608 voters had exercised their franchise in the eight Lok Sabha seats in Bihar on Sunday till 9 am, an official said.

Altogether 157 candidates including four Union Ministers are in the fray in the seventh and final phase of polling in Bihar.

Polling is currently underway in eight Lok Sabha constituencies - Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Ara, Buxar, Jehanabad, Sasaram and Karakat.

As per the poll figure released by office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bihar, all the eight constituencies together recorded 8.08 per cent polling till 9 am.

"Polling has been peaceful with no untoward incidents reported from any of these constituencies, so far except initial reports of EVM malfunctioning," official sources said.

As per reports reaching from district headquarters where voting currently is underway, voting was hampered at few polling stations in Ara, Sasaram, Jehanabad, Pataliputra and Buxar.

Official sources said the problems with regard to EVMs have been redressed.

Prominent candidates whose electoral fate will be decided in Sunday's polling include - Union Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, his Congress rival Shatrughan Sinha (Patna Sahib), Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav and his RJD rival Misa Bharti (Pataliputra), Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Buxar).

Union minister R K Singh (Ara), former Lok Sabha Speaker and senior Congress leader Meira Kumar (Sasaram) are also in fray in Sunday's polling.

People of all age groups, men or women, were seen standing in long queues at various polling stations in these eight Lok Sabha seats to participate in the biggest festival of world's largest democracy.

Prominent among those who voted in the capital city at different polling stations include - Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, his Deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 PM at all places in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies, except 10 assembly constituencies of three Lok Sabha constituencies of Pataliputra, Sasaram and Karakat where voting would come to an end at 4 pm.

Central paramilitary forces, Bihar Military Police, Special Auxiliary Police jawans have been deployed at all 15,811 polling stations eight Lok Sabha constituencies.