Bihar: Nearly 10% voter turnout recorded in 5 LS seats till 9 am

Kishanganj/Purnea/Katihar: Around 9.84 per cent of over 93 lakh voters in five Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar exercised their franchise till 9 am on Friday, an official said.

Polling started at 7 am in Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur and Banka and will continue till 6 pm, he said.

The electors, including 45.15 lakh women and 306 belonging to the third gender, will decide the fate of 50 nominees.

Over 12.01 per cent of the electorate voted in Katihar, 10.65 per cent in Banka, 9.36 per cent in Purnea, 8.92 per cent in Bhagalpur and 8.32 per cent in Kishanganj, till 9 am, the official said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), a BJP ally, is contesting all the five seats, including Kishanganj, which it seeks to wrest from the Congress, while its MPs in the remaining four constituencies are trying to retain their turf.

More than 150 companies of paramilitary forces are assisting the local police in ensuring free and fair polls, the official said.

The second phase of Lok Sabha elections is taking place at a time when the state is reeling under an intense heat wave, with the mercury shooting past the 40-degrees Celsius mark in most parts.

Arrangements for tents and drinking water have been made at the polling centres, he added.