Patna, April 18: Some voters are having a ball before the local body polls. From meat to money, they are getting everything from candidates in the fray.

Some contenders are offering money to voters to garner support, while others are organising feasts in rural areas. Litti-choka with liquor is the favourite dish offered to the electorate who do not want to miss the feast organised by the prospective mukhiyas (village heads) and sarpanchs. Liquor is flowing like water at these feasts. The same group is seen in the camp of every candidate.

The Bhojpur police today detected illegal means adopted by the candidates to woo the electorate and arrested seven persons, including two candidates contesting for the post of mukhiya from two different places, near Koelwar on the border of Patna, on the charge of distributing money to influence voters.

Bhojpur superintendent of police M.R. Naik told The Telegraph that a police team led by deputy superintendent of police (rural) Sanjay Singh caught a mukhiya candidate, Arun Kumar Gupta, and his two associates — Sanjay Singh and Sunil Kumar — red-handed while distributing money among the voters.

The police recovered Rs 12,000 from the possession of Arun. During interrogation, the arrested persons admitted to have organised a feast at Koelwar Bazar for 50 voters. Sanjay and Sunil were assigned to feed litti-chokha at the feast.

Another police team arrested Sanjay Kumar (a mukhiya) and his three supporters — Nandji Kumar, Shambhu Prasad Rai and Sanjeet Kumar. Rs 9,140 was recovered from their possession. They revealed to the police that they had distributed money among the voters.

The case of some candidates contesting the election from Darbhanga district in north Bihar is altogether different. They are planning to use muscle power to win.

The voters of Godaipatti panchayat on the borders of Darbhanga, Samastipur and Muzaffarpur districts are apprehending booth capturing by notorious criminals at the behest of some mukhiya candidates.

Similar is the case with the voters of Saidpur village. In a letter faxed to the election commission, divisional commissioner, district magistrate and the superintendent of police, they alleged that the criminal gangs belonging to adjoining Samastipur were trying to intimidate the voters in general and the Scheduled Castes in particular.

Mohan Choudhary, a resident of the village, said the criminals cross the Bagmati river on boats and grab the booths at Saidpur Primary School in favour of a particular candidate, who oblige them both in cash and kind. Several such gangs of booth-grabbers are active in the areas on the borders of Samastipur, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur districts, he added.

Director-general of police Neel Mani said the security personnel would foil any attempt of booth-grabbing. “We have made elaborate security arrangements for the poll and the criminals will not be allowed to vitiate the poll process,” he added.