Patna (PTI): Several senior politicians, including RJD leader and INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav and Union minister Giriraj Singh, were among those who cast their votes early during the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls on Thursday.

Tejashwi Yadav, along with his family members, including RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, cast his vote at a booth in Veterinary College in Patna.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and Union minister Giriraj Singh cast their votes at respective booths in Lakhisarai, while Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' exercised his franchise in the state capital Patna.

State Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin voted along with his wife Deepmala Srivastava at a polling booth in Patna's Digha assembly segment.

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.

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Kollam (Kerala) (PTI): Around 10 fishing boats, anchored in Ashtamudi Lake here, were gutted as a massive fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

The incident happened in the Kureepuzha area under the Anchalumood police station limit.

According to police, the blaze was first spotted past midnight, and the boats anchored in a row caught fire.

Local people and fire force personnel pressed into action to check the further spread.

"As per the preliminary assessment, around 10 boats were destroyed completely. The exact cause is yet to be identified, but a gas cylinder blast is suspected," a police officer said.

No casualty has been reported so far, police added.