Over 52% polling recorded in eight LS seats in Bihar till 5 pm

Patna: Altogether 52.24 per cent of 1.49 crore voters exercised their franchise in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar till 5 pm on Saturday, officials said.

Voting began at 7 am in Valmiki Nagar, Pashchim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Siwan, Gopalganj, Maharajganj and Vaishali constituencies and will continue till 6 pm, a senior official at the CEO office said.

A voter turnout of 56.11 per cent was recorded in Vaishali, 55.78 per cent in Purvi Champaran, 55.22 per cent in Paschim Champaran, 54.37 in Sheohar, 54.09 per cent in Valmiki Nagar, 49.15 per cent in Maharajganj, 47.49 per cent in Siwan and 46.77 in Gopalganj till 5 pm.

The constituencies where elections are underway are largely rural areas with only 1,281 of the total 14,872 polling stations located in urban localities, officials said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) is contesting in four seats, including Sheohar, which was won by the BJP five years ago. The BJP is contesting three out of the eight seats, with former state president Sanjay Jaiswal seeking his fourth consecutive win in Pashchim Champaran.