Patna: The battle for Bihar is in its final stage. The fourth and final phase of polling began on Saturday morning in 41 out of 243 constituencies.
The state has been turned into a fortress with massive troop deployment and aerial and marine surveillance.
Nearly one lakh officers of the central paramilitary forces have been deployed, seven helicopters are maintaining aerial surveillance and central security forces are patrolling rivers on speedboats.
Mounted police have been pressed into service in sensitive areas to instill confidence among voters, state Home Secretary H C Sirohi said.
Despite the airtight security, bomb blasts have been reported at two polling booths in Danapur, which was once Lalu Prasad Yadav's constituency.
No casualities have been reported so far.
Patna and several other cities have reported low turnouts so far.
The last phase of polling will seal the fate of 394 candidates, including state NDA Convenor Nand Kishore Yadav and a host of ministers in the erstwhile Rabri Devi government.
Besides Patna, the other districts going to polls are Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran and Nalanda.
While, the BJP is contesting 19 seats in these constituencies, the JD-U is contesting for the rest 22 seats.
Lalu Prasad's RJD will contest 25 seats while the Congress will try its luck on 10 seats.
"Bihar is our bastion. We will come out with absolute majority," said Lalu.
128 independents are also trying their luck on Saturday.
(With agency inputs)
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