Bihar polls: Case filed against Lalu, Rabri for violating model code

PATNA - Cases were filed on Monday against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi for allegedly violating the Model Code Of Conduct by taking their security guards inside a booth of the Digha Assembly constituency near Patna.

Digha Block Development Officer Ashok Kumar registred the cases at the Patna Airport Police Station.

Earlier, Prasad and Rabri Devi along with their son Tejpratap and daughter Ragini drove to booth No. 18 at the veterinary college here and entered with security personnel in tow.

Meanwhile, the fourth phase elections began this morning in 42 constituencies.

Nearly 10 percent voting was recorded in the first two hours, official sources in the Bihar chief electoral officer’s office said.

In some places, queues started forming outside polling booths minutes before voting began.

Over one crore voters will decide the fate of 568 candidates including 58 women in this phase.

Prominent contestants include BJP stalwarts and ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Bhagalpur), Nand Kishore Yadav (Patna Sahib) Ramnarayan Mandal (Banka), besides JD(U) minister Damodar Raut.

Former CPI(M) MP Subodh Rai, who recently switched over to ruling JD(U), is in the fray from Sultanganj, while LJP president Ramvilas Paswan’s brother and state party president Pashupati Kumar Paras is contesting from Alauli.

While JD(U) is contesting from 25 seats, ally BJP is contesting in the remaining 17.

RJD has fielded candidates in 26 and ally LJP in 16. The Congress is contesting from all 42 constituencies while the BSP is in the fray from 40 seats.

The Communist Party of India -Marxist Leninist is contesting for 15 seats, CPI for 13 and CPI (M) for six.

The first three phases of Bihar polls passed off peacefully. The fifth and sixth phase of elections are scheduled on November 9 and 20.

The state will elect a new 243-seat assembly in a staggered month-long polling in six phases in which over 55 million electorates are expected to cast their franchise.

Counting of votes will take place on November 24. (ANI)