Voters queue up at Urdu School in Madhopur in Muzaffarpur during Wednesday’s panchayat polls. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Patna, May 18: Defying the poll boycott call of the Maoists, voters turned up in large numbers at polling stations today to cast their votes in the 10th and final round of local bodies’ elections. No major incident of violence was reported from any of the 21 districts, which went to polls.

State election commissioner J.K. Datta said the 10th round of elections witnessed the highest percentage of polling. An estimated 63 per cent voters exercised their franchise.

Purnea registered 73 per cent polling, the highest. The lowest polling was recorded in Nawada where only 52 per cent voters cast their votes.

Datta said the model code of conduct would come to an end in the districts where the elections and counting of votes were over.

Over half a dozen districts where the elections were held today were declared hyper-sensitive in the wake of the Naxalite activities. The Maoist-affected districts where the Naxalites had given poll boycott call included Gaya, Nawada, Arwal, Sitamarhi, Munger, Begusarai and East Champaran.

Director-general of police (DGP) Neel Mani said altogether 358 persons were arrested and 50 vehicles were seized during the elections today. The security personnel seized Rs 80,937 and 27 mobile phone sets.

A district board candidate, Asha Devi, and a mukhiya contestant from Marhaura, Prem Lal Ram, were arrested from Saran on the charge of disturbing the election process.

Reports of road blockade were received at the state election commission office from Gaya and Begusarai districts. A group of criminals attempted to disrupt the poll process by pouring ink in ballot boxes at a polling station (number 133) under Haveli Kharagpur panchayat in Munger district.

In Sitamarhi, the district magistrate-cum-returning officer removed three pol- ling personnel from poll duty on the charge of dereliction of duty.

“The commission received 25 complaints, which were intimated to the district magistrates, observers and electoral officers concerned,” the election commissioner said.

The election commission accorded first position to Kishanganj district magistrate Sandeep Kumar Pudkalkatti and superintendent of police Ranjeet Kumar Mishra for smooth and fair polls.

“The commission received the least number of complaints with regard to preparation of electoral rolls, location of polling stations and repolling from Kishanganj,” Datta said.

Gaya district magistrate Vandana Preyasi and superintendent of police Vinay Kumar were ranked second.

At division-level, the work of Purnea divisional commissioner Brajesh Mahrotra and deputy inspector-general (DIG) Amit Kumar was found to be satisfactory. They bagged the first position.

Saharsa divisional commissioner J.R.K. Rao and DIG Sudhanshu Kumar were ranked second.

The ninth phase of rural polls were marred by violence. Maoists blew up a vehicle carrying polling personnel triggering a landmine blast in Jamui district. One person died suffering splinter injuries in the blast. The deceased was identified as Arun Mandal, the driver of the vehicle. The rebels also took seven polling personnel hostage. They were released later.