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12 cops among 20 killed in Bihar

Soroor Ahmed in Patna

Around twenty people, including 12 policemen, were killed and 16 others were injured in several incidents of poll-related violence in the first phase of assembly elections in Bihar today.

Polling in Danapur and Patna Central contituencies - where the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and the Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi were in the fray - however passed off peacefully.

Like the September 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Naxalites mounted armed attacks at several places targeting policemen and poll officials.

The ultras first struck in Adhaura block of Kaimur district last evening, when they detonated a land mine killing eight persons, including five Central Reserve Police Force jawans, one police sub-inspector and two civilians.

The Naxalites struck again today when about 100 of them attacked a Border Security Force party in Ranka block of Garhwa district killing three BSF jawans and injuring several others.

Three more BSF men lost their lives in a landmine blast in Vishnugarh block of Hazaribagh districit.

More incidents of violence were reported from Palamu and Gaya districts, though the district administrations at these places were not yet clear about the exact number of the casualties. All they would say was that ''several people were killed'' in these attacks.

According to the State Election Commission though the polling began on a low key this morning due to bad weather, it picked up towards the afternoon. An EC press note said over 60 per cent voting was reported.

Incidentally, Gaya, Jehanabad and other parts of central Bihar, where caste polarisation is sharp, remained largely peaceful. Though elaborate security arrangements were made in the area, heavy rains caused much inconvenience to the voters.

Onkar Singh adds from New Delhi:Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill today commended the Bihar police for their excellent job of containing violence to a great extent.

"160 people were arrested in Bihar in poll-related incidents," Gill said.

He said in Manipur, where too the first phase of polling was held today, voting was peaceful and nearly 70 per cent of voters exercised their franchise. "And this took place in the areas which are dominated by the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagas," he told newspersons.

While 1,496 candidates were in fray for 108 seats in Bihar, 99 hopefuls tried their luck in 27 constituecies of Manipur.

EARLIER REPORT
12 killed in Bihar blasts
Blast in Bihar as polling begins

Assembly Election 2000

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