Late afternoon: 40% voting in Bihar

Five persons were killed in violent incidents in Bihar and one in Jharkhand as the third and last phase of polling was held in the two state on Wednesday.

Election officials said 40 per cent votes were cast for the 93 seats in Bihar and 25 per cent for the 28 in Jharkhand till late afternoon.

Prominent contestants in the third phase in Bihar are Chief Minister Rabri Devi and  state ministers Awadh Bihari Choudhury, Udit Rai and Indrani Devi.

In Dumka in Jharkhand, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha rebel and Rajya Sabha member Stephen Marandi is locked in a fierce battle with mentor and Union Coal Minister Shibu Soren's son, Hemant. Durga.

Soren's other son is seeking re-election

from Jama.

In Bihar, where shoot-at-sight orders are in force, a booth grabber was killed in firing by the Border Security Force at Gosai village in Patna district.
 
Another person was killed in a blast in a house in Balha-Basanta village in Vaishali district. The house, police sources said, was being used to assemble crude bombs.

Three persons were killed in a similar blast in a crude bomb factory in Harnathpur in Siwan district late on Tuesday night.

In Jharkhand, a jawan of the special task force was killed and three others injured in a landmine blast near Jhumra hills in Bokaro, Superintendent of Police Anil Palta said.