Patna, Sep 10 (Inditop.com) An estimated 40 percent turnout was recorded in bye-elections to seven Bihar assembly constituencies amid peaceful voting, officials said.
The by-polls were peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere, police officials said here.
In over a dozen of villages in flood and drought affected areas, people boycotted the polls, accusing the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) government of failure in providing relief.
The vote is seen as a mini referendum for the Nitish Kumar government ahead of state assembly polls slated for next year.
The seven constituencies that went to polls are Warisnagar, Kalyanpur, Bochaha, Chenari, Aurai, Chainpur and Ramgarh.
The second phase of by-polls for 11 more assembly seats will be held Sep 15.
The by-polls were necessitated to fill up the vacant seats – mostly vacated by sitting legislators to contest the April-May Lok Sabha polls.
Though the campaign was dull, star campaigners of all political parties tried to woo voters in favour of their candidates.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD-U national president Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan and several central ministers and Congress leaders campaigned for the by-polls.
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