Seven-phase LS polls in Bihar from April 19

Patna: Lok Sabha polls to 40 constituencies in Bihar will be conducted in seven phases, the Election Commission said on Saturday.

Voting will take place in the state on April 19, 26, May 7, 13, 20, 25 and June 1, it said. The results will be declared on June 4.

The bye election for Agiaon (Bhojpur) assembly constituency will also be held on June 1.

In the first phase on April 19, the Lok Sabha constituencies that will go to polls include Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, whereas elections will be held in Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Banka in the second phase on April 26.

In the third phase on May 7, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura and Khagaria will go to polls, and on May 13, elections would be conducted in Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai and Munger Lok Sabha seats, the EC said.

While the Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur seats will go to polls in the fifth phase on May 20, Valmiki Nagar, Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan and Maharajganj will see voting on May 25 (sixth phase).

Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jahanabad will go to polls in the seventh and final phase on June 1, the commission said.

The by-poll in Agiaon (Bhojpur) has been necessitated following the disqualification of sitting CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation MLA Manoj Manzil.

The total number of electorate in Bihar is 7,67,77,731, including 3,65,97,674 females.