One shot during 7th phase of panchayat polls

Patna: One Munna Singh was shot outside booth number 275 in Anwarpur panchayat under Lalganj block in Vaishali district while a home guard, Satyendra Singh, was killed in a road accident while he was returning from poll duty in Garua block of Gaya district as the 7th phase of panchayat elections recorded 65% voter turnout on Wednesday. Altogether 395 people were arrested from different places in the state.
State election commissioner Asok Kumar Chauhan said Satyendra died on the spot while another home guard, Shiv Shankar Singh, was injured in the accident. He said Munna was killed in an exchange of fire between two groups after supporters of two mukhiya candidates clashed in Anwarpur panchayat.
Chauhan said the voter turnout this time was more than 62.8% recorded in the seventh phase of the last panchayat election. Election was held on Wednesday at 12,237 booths in 854 panchayats under 57 blocks in 35 districts of the state. Fifteen panchayats in Fatuha, six in Daniyawa and seven in Khusrupur block in Patna district went to the polls with 54%, 64% and 60% turnout, respectively.
He said repolling has been ordered for mukhiya post on booth numbers 378 to 392 in Govindpur Khujri under Kalyanpur block in Samastipur after printing errors were found in the ballot papers. Repoll has also been ordered at booth number 171 for panchayat samiti member posts for errors in ballot papers.
In Gopalganj, mukhiya candidate of Mohammadpur panchayat, Munna Sah was arrested from booth number 142 for creating trouble. In Kaimur, police seized one country-made rifle, one air gun, one partially finished country-made pistol, two live cartridges and other equipment used in manufacturing of firearms.
In Aurangabad, people in Charkaha panchayat boycotted the polls in the forenoon in protest against the death of a child, Ravi Kumar, in a blast that took place on Tuesday. Locals were demanding compensation for the family of the deceased. However, the villagers took part in voting after the administration pacified them. One person was injured when two groups reportedly clashed in Phulli village of Rohtas district during the polls.