Bihar Elections Bihar elections: 104-yr-old Indian Army veteran exercises franchise, 45.85 pc polling till 3 PM
Patna/UNI: A 104-year-old retired soldier Sachchidanand Rana, who had fought in the Second World War and had also fought in Indo- China war in 1962 and Indo-Pak war in 1965, reached a polling station in Muzaffarpur district and exercised his franchise, while an estimated 45.85 per cent of the total electorate exercised their franchise till 3 PM in the third and final phase of Bihar Assembly elections in the 78 constituencies.
After casting his vote at booth number 72 in Muzaffarpur district, Rana said that he joined the British army in 1934 and was inducted into Indian army in 1953.
Rana, who superannuated in 1968 from the Indian army, cast his vote to assert his faith in democracy.
The Indian Army veteran was escorted to the poll booth by his nephew, who said that his uncle waited with great enthusiasm for his turn to exercise his franchise.
He said that Rana had participated in the second world war and was also posted in Shushul area during Indo-China in war in 1962 and in Sialkot during Indo-Pak war in 1965.
Sources at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said that an estimated 45.85 per cent of the total electorate exercised their franchise till 3 PM in the third and final phase of the Bihar assembly elections in the 78 constituencies where polling was in progress.
Maximum polling of 51.12 per cent was recorded in Supaul district, followed by Saharsa with 48.98 per cent, Muzaffarpur with 48.43 per cent, East Champaran with 47.65 per cent and Kishanganj with 47.55 per cent, Vaishali with 46.34 per cent, Madhepura 46.33 percent and Purnia with 46.09 percent, West Champaran 45.58 per cent and Samastipur 45.05 per cent, Madhubani 44.96 per cent and Sitamarhi 44.65 percent, Araria 43.22 percent and Katihar 43.11 percent and Darbhanga 41.15 percent.
According to the source Bochha (reserved) assembly constituency recorded maximum of 53 .20 per cent polling till 3 PM, while Muzaffarpur assembly seat had 39.00 percent polling during the period.
Polling in Valmikinagar and Ramnagar assembly constituencies of West Champaran district and Simri Bakhtiyarpur and Mahishi assembly seats of Saharsa district ended at 4:00 Pm due to security reasons.
However, in the rest of the constituencies polling will continue till 6 PM.
Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer H R Srinivasan told media persons here that the security forces opened fired in air to foil an attempt by a group of trouble mongers to disturb the poll process at booth number 282 in Dhamdaha constituency of Purnea district.
Jawans of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were asking people to stand in queues, maintaining social distancing as per the instructions issued by the Election Commission to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, he added.
Trouble mongers, who had come to the polling booth as voters, started manhandling the jawans of CISF, forcing other security personnel to open fire in air to control the situation, he further added.
Srinivasan said that Police Superintendent of Purnea Vishal Sharma reached the spot and four miscreants were arrested in this connection.
Voting at booth number 282 continued as usual, he informed.
A total of 2,35,5 4,071 electors are expected to exercise their franchise in 78 constituencies spanning across 15 districts of Bihar.
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