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Shoot-at-sight issued for Bihar bypolls

Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued in the Raghopur, Jamui and Nirsa assembly constituencies of Bihar where by-elections will be held on Friday, even as paramilitary forces conducted a flag march in the sensitive areas of these constituencies.

State home secretary U N Panjiyar said patrolling in these areas had been intensified and all entry points of the constituencies sealed.

He said two companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in Raghopur and Jamui and one company of central forces in Nirsa.

Three companies of the Bihar military police have been provided to Raghopur and Jamui.

In Raghopur, from where Chief Minister Rabri Devi is seeking her maiden entry into the state assembly, mounted police and policemen in boats would be deployed near the riverine areas to prevent the entry of anti-social elements.

A total of 617,759 voters will decide the fate of 25 candidates in 787 polling stations in Raghopur, Jamui and Nirsa constituencies.

Rabri Devi (RJD) is pitted against JD-U candidate Vira Devi among four others in the Raghopur seat, which was vacated by her husband and RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav. Yadav retained the Danapur seat after winning both in the February polls.

Former minister Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav's younger brother Vijay Prakash Yadav is contesting on a RJD ticket from Jamui. The seat was vacated by JD-U general secretary Narendra Singh, who won from Chakai and Jamui in the assembly polls. Yadav is locked in a direct fight with JD-U nominee Sushil Kumar Singh. Altogether 16 candidates are in the fray in Jamui.

Arup Chatterjee, son of slain Marxist Coordination Committee leader and trade unionist Gurudas Chatterjee, is vying for the Nirsa seat which fell vacant after the killing of his father. BJP nominee Ashok Mahato is among the five candidates in the fray in the constituency in Dhanbad district of South Bihar.

During the last three-phased assembly elections in the state in February, altogether 36 people, including 13 policemen, were killed in poll-related violence.

Apprehending large-scale rigging in the bypolls, opposition political parties have demanded deployment of central forces in all the sensitive booths in the three constituencies.

State election office sources said all the polling personnel along with polling materials have reached the respective booths. Polling would begin at 0700 IST and would continue up to 1700 IST.

Sources said repolling, if necessary, would be held on May 28 and counting of votes would begin at 0800 IST on May 29.

UNI

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