58.8% polling in second phase of panchayat polls

One person identified as Jageshwar Yadav was killed and four others injured in a clash between rival groups in Chiknotwa village in Madhubani district,Additional Director General of Police (Hq) Rajya Vardhan Sharma said.

In another incident,a policeman was injured after some miscreants pelted stone on a police party at booth number -63 in Nayagaon village in Munger district while making a vain bid at booth capturing,he said,adding the police fired in the air in self-defence and later arrested three miscreants.

Another person was injured at booth number-65 in Dharampur Kharwa village in Patna district in a clash between two groups,Sharma said.

Local people pelted stones on the vehicles of the district magistrate and the Superintendent of Police of Sheikhpura district at Diman village to protest against

shortage of ballot papers at booth number-75.

A report from Sheohar district some miscreants fired in the air snatched a rifle from a Homeguard at Shankarpur Binhi village but the looted rifle was subsequently recovered.

The security forces arrested 791 people including a mukhia candidate and former chairperson of Nawada district Zilla parishad Neetu Devi on charges of booth capturing and electoral malpractices,the ADGP said.

The security forces seized one rifle and 12 round of cartridges and 134 vehicles during their drive against electoral malpractices and booth rigging,Sharma said.

The second phase of panchayat polls were held for the post 27,905 posts comprising Mukhias (895),gram panchayat members (12372),panchayat samiti members (1271),panchayat kachhari members (12372),gram kachhari sarpanchs (895 and Zila parishad members (122) at 12,559 polling stations spread over 37 districts.