Campaigning ends in seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar

PATNA: Campaigning came to an end in seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar today, including in high- profile Bhagalpur seat which would test acceptability of Narendra Modi by the minority.

Supual, Araria, Kisanganj, Katihar, Purnia and Banka besides Bhagalpur constituencies, spread over eight districts will go to the hustings in the third phase of polling in the state on April 24. The seven parliamentary constituencies are located in Seemanchal areas of Bihar bordering with Bangladesh and Nepal.

BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain, NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar and former Union minister and RJD leader Md Taslimuddin are among the prominent candidates whose fate will be decided in this round of polls in Bihar.

Over 1.04 crore electorate would exercise their franchise in 9,840 polling stations in the seven constituencies. Repoll will also be held on Thursday for the assembly segments of Baisi in Purnea and Kochadhaman in Kisanganj. Like the previous phases, this one too saw BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi addressing rallies at Katihar and Supual.

BJP president Rajnath Singh made a whirlwind tour of four constituencies of Bhagalpur, Araria, Supual and Purnia. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visited Bihar for the second time to address an election meeting at minority-dominated Kisanganj in favour of party candidate Maulana Asrarul Haque.

In minority-dominated Bhagalpur sitting BJP MP Hussain is facing triangular contest with Abu Kaiser of JD(U) and Bullo Mandal of RJD.