Wednesday, February 23 2005 18:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna/Ranchi: An average 55 per cent votes were cast today (Feb 23, 2005), as six persons were killed and six, including a presiding officer injured in the elections in the third and final round of polling in Bihar, while a personnel of the special task force died in a landmine blast in neighbouring Jharkhand where polls were also held.

Election department sources said that 50 to 55 per cent turnout was recorded both for the 93 Assembly seats in Bihar and 28 constituencies in Jharkhand. There were 1865 candidates in the fray for the 121 seats in the two States.

Prominent contestants were Chief Minister Rabri Devi, senior RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) Ministers Awadh Bihari Choudhury, Udit Rai and Indrani Devi, wife of Rabri Devi's high-profile brother Sadhu Yadav in Bihar, while in Jharkhand, Dumka was the cynosure of all eyes as JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) rebel and Rajya Sabha member Stephen Marandi was battling mentor and Union Coal Minister Sibu Soren's son, Hemant. Durga, Soren's other son is seeking re-election from Jama.

In Jharkhand, a jawan of the special task force was killed and three others injured in a landmine blast near the Jhumra hills in Bokaro, SP Anil Palta said.

In Bihar, where shoot at sight orders were in force against booth grabbers and the border with Nepal sealed, three persons were killed in bomb explosion in Siwan hours before the poll, while Vaishali, Patna and Muzaffarpur district accounted for one death each, police sources said.