Patna:
Around 34 per cent of the 81.26 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 1 PM in 35 constituencies in eight districts in the fifth and penultimate phase of the Assembly elections in Bihar even as Maoists have given a poll boycott call.
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere, Director General of Police Neelmani said.
Over 95 people, including a former RJD minister Aditya Singh, were detained under preventive measure and 20 vehicles were impounded, Neelmani said.
A presiding officer suffered a cardiac arrest in booth 166 in Biharsharief constituency and was admitted to the Patna Medical College Hospital, official sources said.
Around 81.26 lakh voters will decide the fate of 490 candidates, including 44 women.
Prominent candidates are state JD-U ministers Hari Narain Singh (Harnaut), Jitan Ram Manjhi (Makhdumpur), Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha (Jagdishpur) and BJP minister Prem Kumar (Gaya town).
JD-U Chief whip in the Assembly Shravan Kumar (Nalanda), party MLAs Asha Devi (Barhara), Sunil Kumar (Biharsharif), Shyam Rajak (Phulwari), Narendra Kumar Pandey (Tarari), senior BJP leaders Sayadeo Narain Arya (Rajgir), and Amrendra Pratap Singh (Ara) are also in the fray.
Besides, there are LJP's Dularchand Yadav from Arwal, former RJD ministers Surendra Prasad Yadav (Belaganj), Raghvendra Pratap Singh (Barhara), Suresh Paswan (Agiwan) and Rajballabh Prasad (Nawada).
Director General of Police Neelmani said, "Central para-military forces and armed police personnel have been deployed at all Naxalite-hit polling stations." The DGP said borders with Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have been sealed.
Special Task Force (STF) commandos and senior police officials kept air surveillance by the help of four helicopters.
Ninety per cent of the booths are being manned by central paramilitary forces and the rest by armed police personnel.
The police would also use phone line tracking and Google Earth to keep a watch on the movement of Maoists in forests and hills, Neelmani said.
Satellite phones have been provided to policemen in Naxal-affected areas, he said.
Over 40,000 polling personnel would be engaged in the electoral exercise, Chief Electoral Officer SK Rakesh said.
Polling at several booths would be webcast by BSNL.