13.13 pc turnout in first phase of Bihar polls till 9 am
Patna (PTI): A total of 13.13 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of voting in phase one of the Bihar assembly elections on Thursday, an official said.
Saharsa recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 15.27, followed by Begusarai (14.6) and Muzaffarpur (14.38).
Several senior politicians, including RJD leader and INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav, Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha were among those who cast their votes early.
Giriraj Singh, who cast his vote in Lakhisarai, defended the checking of identity of burqa-clad women, stating it will prevent 'vote chori' (vote theft).
"This is not religious bias…. We are not living in Pakistan. Neither will Bihar have a Tejashwi Yadav government, nor will Sharia law be implemented here," he said.
Tejashwi Yadav, along with his family members, including RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, cast his vote at a booth in Veterinary College in Patna.
"I appeal to the youth to bring a change by installing a new government," Tejashwi Yadav said.
His mother and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, too, appealed to people "to vote and bring a change".
She wished both her sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, success in the elections.
Tejashwi Yadav's sister Rohini Acharya exuded confidence that people will defeat the "double-engine government" this time.
State Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin, who voted along with his wife Deepmala Srivastava at a polling booth in Patna's Digha assembly segment, urged people to exercise their franchise for a developed Bihar.
Sinha and Giriraj Singh cast their votes at respective booths in Lakhisarai, while Lalan Singh exercised his franchise in the state capital Patna.
Singer-turned-politician, RJD's Khesari Lal Yadav, also exercised his franchise at Ekma in Saran district, while BJP leader Bikhu Bhai Dalsania also cast his vote in the early hours.
A politician in Vaishali went to the booth riding a buffalo, while urging people also to cast their votes.
Voting began at 7 am for 121 seats amid tight security arrangements, an official said, adding it will continue till 5 pm.
In the first phase, a total of 3.75 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates, including top leaders such as Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary of the BJP.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
