60 per cent voter turnout was recorded till in seven Lok Sabha seats of Bihar where voting was held in the third phase on Thursday.
While Supual registered 54 per cent voting, it was 60 per cent in Araria, 64 per cent in Kisanganj, 64 per cent in Katihar, 59 per cent in Purnia, 55 per cent in Bhagalpur and 56 per cent in Banka, an Election Commission statement said. BJP star leader Shahnawaz Hussain exercised his franchise in Bhagalpur and former union minister and RJD leader Mohammad Taslimuddin, contesting polls from Araria, also cast his vote.
Despite the temperature touching over 42 degrees Celsius, enthusiasm was visible among voters, old as well young, in different booths. There was report of delay in polling in 20 booths in Katihar due to snags in EVM machines. There were also reports of technical problems in EVMs in some other constituencies which were rectified, election office sources said.
In Katihar, a 90-year-old woman Ram Pyari was seen coming to a polling station after crossing a riverlet carried by four persons on a charpoy. In Purnea, an elderly woman who was the first to cast her vote in a booth was presented with flowers by the poll official to motivate voters.
In Supual, located on border along Nepal, many elderly men and women and physically challenged persons were seen reaching polling stations with the help of youngsters. By-poll in the Assembly seats of Basie in Purnea and Kochadhaman in Kisanganj recorded 48.89 per cent votes in the first three hours.
Additional chief electoral officer R. Lakshmanan said voting was peaceful in the state despite fears of violence.
Long queues of women and mostly first-time voters were seen since morning, particularly in rural areas.
Voting is being held in Kishanganj, Purnea, Araria, Katihar, Supaul, Bhagalpur and Banka constituencies.
Over 10 million electors will decide the fate of 108 Lok Sabha candidates and 10 assembly hopefuls.
This is the third round of polling in the state that sends 40 members to the Lok Sabha.
Tarique Anwar of the Nationalist Congress Party, Shahnawaz Hussain of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Mohammad Taslimuddin of the Rashtriya Janata Dal are in the fray.
Bihar's most backward pockets with high poverty and illiteracy are part of the five constituencies - Kishanganj, Purnea, Araria, Katihar and Supaul - known as Seemanchal region as they share the border with Nepal, Bangladesh or West Bengal.
It has a sizable Muslim population - from 17 percent in Supaul to nearly 70 percent in Kishanganj.
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