As the second phase of polling to 62 constituencies passed off peacefully in Bihar, amidst unprecedented security arrangements, all the political action happened in Delhi today. Both BJP and JD-U turned up the heat on RJD Union Minister Jaiprakash Narain Yadav, now ‘‘absconding’’ with a non-bailable warrant in his name. The BJP sought the removal of the Minister of State for Water Resources from the Cabinet, comparing his case with that of JMM supremo Shibu Soren who had to quit under similar circumstances. The JD-U wanted the President to step in. And the Congress retaliated by saying that sacking or appointing of a minister was the sole prerogative of the PM. In Bihar, meanwhile, 60,000 security personnel and four IAF helicopters had the elections firmly under control. EC advisor K J Rao was in one of the helicopters, keeping a vigil on the polling. In the two incidents of violence that were reported, one person, mistaken for a criminal, was shot dead by BSF jawans in Raghopur while another was injured in Sheikhpura when forces opened fire to quell a gunbattle between two criminal groups. Apart from those, Chief Secretary G S Kang said the polls were ‘‘by and large peaceful’’. He added that 118 motorcycles and 10 jeeps were seized while 235 people were arrested for trying to disturb the poll process. In New Delhi, BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley slammed the UPA government on the ‘‘absconding’’ minister, against whom a warrant had been issued for his role in getting his brother to escape from police custody in Jamui during the first phase of polls.
