39 percent turnout in final phase of Bihar polls

Patna, Nov 5 Around 39 percent of about 1.55 crore electorate voted in the first six hours on Thursday in the fifth and final round of the staggered Bihar assembly elections, officials said.

Tens of thousands of people, the women outnumbering men, stood in long queues at polling stations from early in the morning, officials as well as witnesses said.

The polling is spread over the last of the 57 of the 243 constituencies across seven districts: Kishanganj, Purnea, Araria and Katihar in Seemanchal region and Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul in Kosi region.

A total of 827 candidates are in the fray, the dominant contestants being Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP-led four-party alliance and the Grand Alliance of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The voting began at 7 a.m. and will end at 5 p.m.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav voted in Madhepura and BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain in Supaul.

Paramilitary forces used force at a polling booth in Katihar district to disperse "anti-social elements" trying to indulge in bogus voting.

Bihar Police chief P.K. Thakur said the polling process was dominantly peaceful.

The 57 constituencies cover some of Bihar's most backward pockets notorious for poverty, illiteracy and mass migration.

Stray incidents of clashes did take place between rival groups. At some places, the electronic voting machines malfunctioned. Apart from that, it was a smooth exercise.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) is contesting from six seats in Seemanchal region.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking heavily on Modi's appeal and the support of the upper castes - Brahmins, Bhumihar, Rajputs - and also hopes to gain the backing of other communities.

Allied with the BJP are the Lok Janshakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan and the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party of Upendra Kushwaha -- both union ministers -- and the Hindustani Awam Morcha of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

The Grand Alliance includes the JD-U, the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad and the Congress.

The millions of votes polled in the staggered elections that began on October 12 will be counted on Sunday.