Bihar By-Elections: 45.30% Voter Turnout Till 3 PM; Clashes and Liquor Seizure Reported

Patna: Voting is underway for the by-elections in four assembly seats in Bihar: Tarari, Belaganj, Imamganj, and Ramgarh. As of 3 PM, the voter turnout across these seats reached 45.30%, with Ramgarh recording the highest participation at 47.73%.

A clash erupted between two groups in Tarari, injuring six people, including a youth who sustained a head injury. The altercation reportedly arose at booth number 223 in Dharmapura village, Bihta Panchayat, amid a dispute over support for a specific party.

In another incident, authorities seized a tanker filled with liquor in Ramgarh, an area where voting activities are ongoing. The seizure comes amidst stringent election protocols, as the state prepares for assembly elections next year.

Over 12 lakh eligible voters are participating in this by-election to elect four representatives who will serve for a year. Thirty-eight candidates are competing, with prominent names from the Mahagathbandhan coalition and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s family members contesting in these seats.

Special security has been arranged in the Naxal-affected area of Imamganj in Gaya. Out of 346 booths here, 320 have been marked as highly sensitive, where voting is scheduled from 7 AM to 4 PM, with extended voting hours at 26 booths until 6 PM.