A security personnel guards a polling booth at Trikoni village in Raxaul on Saturday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Patna, May 21: The Bihar Election Commission has taken strong exception to the complaints against some ministers, legislators and members of Parliament, who have been accused of making attempts to influence the counting of votes in the ongoing panchayat elections in Bihar.

State election commissioner J.K. Dutta issued directives to all the district magistrates and the superintendents of police (SPs) to lodge cases against the ministers, legislators and the members of Parliament found guilty of attempting to influence the counting of votes.

“The commission has taken a serious view of the complaints of attempts to influence the counting of votes at several places in the state,” Dutta said, adding that instructions have already been issued to lodge complaints against such people.

The chargesheets will be submitted within 15 days and the cases would be put on speedy trial to get the accused persons punished at the earliest,” Dutta said, adding that those found guilty would be liable for punishment under Section 130 of the Panchayati Raj Act and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code.

The election commissioner, however, refused to disclose the names of the public representatives against whom complaints were received. He also warned of stern action against personnel engaged in counting of votes.

Today votes were counted across 20 districts, including Patna, Gaya, Arwal, Nawada, Saran, Siwan, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Saharsa, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Purnea, Lakhisarai and Begusarai.

Though the process of counting started on May 9 from Sheohar where the polls ended on May 6, the counting was held in most of the districts today. Tight security arrangements were made at the counting centres, senior police officials at the state police headquarters said.

The 10-phase panchayat polls began on April 20 and ended on May 18. However, the dates of polling in some panchayats located in Naxalite-affected districts were deferred. The election would come to an end in these panchayats on May 28. The election is being conducted to elect 2,62,000 panchayat members across the state.

Meanwhile, the elections held in 73 panchayats in Naxalite-affected Jamui, Gaya, Aurangabad, Banka, East Champaran and Saharsa districts on Friday passed off peacefully. No major incidents of violence were reported from anywhere, officials at state police headquarters said.

Information available at the state police headquarters (till 2pm) said altogether 55 persons were arrested on the charges of attempting to disrupt the poll process. The security personnel seized 15 vehicles and Rs 8,600.

The multi-phased elections passed off peacefully except for a few incidents of violence. The first round of election witnessed the killing of a police officer and a woman voter in a rebel attack in Jamui. Similarly, one death was reported in the second and eighth rounds of polls each.