Patna: Amid shoot at sight orders, polling will be held for 24 seats of the Bihar Legislative Council from the local bodies constituencies on July 10.

The newly appointed Bihar Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) D P Maheshwari told reporters that all arrangements have been made to conduct a fair and peaceful poll. Nearly 1.37 lakh voters will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 101 candidates.

All the 537 booths have been declared sensitive and armed contingents of policemen would be deployed at all polling stations for free and fair elections to the 24 council seats from the local bodies constituencies, the poll for which is being held after a gap of 24 years, he said.

Former Director General of Police R R Prasad is being challenged for Bhojpur-Buxar seat by 40 candidates, including notorious criminal Vishewar Ojha on whose head he had announced a reward of Rs 20,000 during his tenure.

Chief Minister Rabri Devi's brother Prabhunath Yadav is trying his luck from Gopalganj, while former Bihar Minister Dilip Singh is in the fray from Patna.

The highest number of 72 candidates are in the fray for Samastipur seat, while West Champaran has the lowest 22 nominees in the field.

In view of a large number of candidates with criminal background contesting the poll, the police have made tight security arrangements.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Provisions) and spokesman of Bihar police Rituraj said that large contingents of static force would be deployed at all the polling booths across the state to control any untoward incident on the polling day.

PTI