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Polling began today in six of the 40 constituencies, all in Maoist-hit areas, for the first of the six-phased Lok Sabha polls in Bihar.
The constituencies where polling is being held, starting at 7 am, are Sasaram (SC), Karakat, Aurangabad, Gaya (SC), Nawada and Jamui (SC).
About an hour and a half before the start of polling, Maoists triggered a bomb blast in Munger, killing two CRPF jawans and injuring three others, when they were on their way to a polling station in Jamui parliamentary constituency.
Of the 80 candidates, including 10 women, the electoral fate of outgoing Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar, former Kerala governor Nikhil Kumar and actor-turned-politician Chirag Paswan, son of LJP president Ramvilas Paswan will be decided.
Meira is seeking re-election for the third consecutive term from Sasaram, her home turf, which elected her father and Dalit icon Babu Jagjivan Ram eight times since independence to 1984.
Chirag Paswan is debuting in Jamui (SC) seat and is pitted against Assembly speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary.
While a resurgent BJP is claiming it would bag a major chunk of the 40 seats in the state, the RJD-Congress alliance and the tie-up of JD(U) and CPI are equally determined to corner maximum number of seats.
Of the total electorate, women voters number 49,73,691 surpassing the number of men at 43,55,752.
Altogether 9,781 polling stations have been set up.
Two CRPF jawans were killed and three others injured when Maoists triggered an explosive, when they were on way to a polling station in Jamui parliamentary constituency of Bihar early morning, police said.
