Polling begins for by-elections to one Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats in Bihar

Patna: Amid elaborate security arrangements, polling today began on peaceful note at 0700 hours for by-elections to one Lok Sabha seat and two Assembly seats with electorate exercising their franchise to decide fate of 38 candidates.Official sources said here that voters are casting their votes for Araria Lok Sabha seat, Jehanabad assembly seat and Bhabhua assembly seat where by-polls were necessitated following deaths of sitting representatives. 

A total of seven candidates are in fray in Araria Lok Sabha seat but main contest 
is between Sarfaraz Alam of RJD and Pradeep Singh of BJP. Mr Alam, son of 
RJD MP Mohammad Taslimuddin from Araria, whose death necessitated by-
election, was JD(U) MLA from Jokihat and had recently joined RJD, deserting his 
party. Mr Singh had lost to Mohammad Taslimuddin in 2014 Lok Sabha poll. 
Similarly, the death of RJD MLA from Jehanabad Mundrika Singh Yadav 
necessitated by-poll for the seat and his son Suday Yadav has been made 
candidate by the RJD. JD(U) which was earlier reluctant to contest election, 
fielded its candidate on request from BJP. JD(U) has fielded Abhiram Sharma as 
its candidate who is giving tough challenge to RJD candidate Mr Yadav. However, 
a total of 14 candidates including three women are in the fray. (UNI)