Saturday, November 12 2005 14:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Polling will be held tomorrow (Nov 13, 2005) in 57 of the 243 constituencies of Bihar in the third and penultimate phase of assembly elections amidst stringent security.

Over 1.17 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.

The polls will decide the fate of 494 candidates, including the state presidents of RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), JD (U) (Janata Dal (United)) and Samajwadi Party and a host of ministers in the erstwhile Rabri Devi government.

Over 72,000 men and officers of central para-military forces and Bihar police have been deployed in the 57 constituencies straddling 11 districts. There are 12,786 polling stations.

Bihar's border with adjoining West Bengal as also Nepal have been sealed, Bihar Home Secretary H C Sirohi told PTI. In case of Uttar Pradesh, Sirohi said the Election Commission has asked the UP government to seal its borders with Bihar on the polling day.

He said the security forces were armed with powers to shoot booth-grabbers.

Mounted police will patrol sensitive areas to instil confidence among voters, he said.

The Border Security Force (BSF) will patrol rivers and four Indian Air Force helicopters will maintain aerial surveillance against Maoist rebels who have given a call for election boycott.

Sirohi said the Royal Nepalese Army will patrol their side of the border on election day, while the Shastra Seema Bal (SSB) will guard the Indian Side.