Voters queue up outside a polling booth at Tekari in Gaya on Saturday. Picture by Suman

Patna, April 30: Voting for the fourth round of election to local bodies passed peacefully today, with no major incident of violence being reported from anywhere.

The voter turnout was recorded at 61.41 per cent, the highest in the four rounds of panchyat polls held in the state.

Katihar recorded the maximum 71 per cent polling while the lowest turn out was reported from Sitamarhi where 51 per cent voters exercised their franchise.

State election commissioner J.K. Dutta said that it was a good sign that the polling per centage was increasing. While 51 percent polling was recorded in the first phase, it went up to 58 per cent in the second phase, followed by 60.53 per cent in the third phase.

Dutta said the police had to open fire to disperse troublemakers in Aurangabad and East Champaran districts. However, there was no report of any injury or casualty in the police firing. A bomb found near a polling station in Gayawas defused by the bomb disposal squad, he added.

In East Champaran district, police fired two rounds in the air to disperse a group of villagers after they clashed with the police at polling centres under Bheriari panchayat, Superintendent of Police Ganesh Kumar said. However, no one was injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, four persons, including two candidates for zilla parishad were arrested for trying to lure voters with money. Rs 90000 seized from their possession.