Patna, July 7: An FIR was lodged today against two ministers - P.K. Shahi and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan - for allegedly violating the Election Commission of India's model code of conduct and the Representation of the People Act during the Legislative Council polls.

Additional chief electoral officer (ACEO) R. Laxmanan said a case was lodged with Gandhi Maidan police station against the education minister, Shahi, and road construction minister Lalan for using their beacon-fitted vehicles to reach the polling station. The ministers subsequently appeared before police and were released on bail.

"The two ministers were granted bail from the police station because the sections they were booked under were bailable," a senior officer of Gandhi Maidan police station said. Deputy election officer of Patna Sadar Baiju Kumar Singh had lodged the complaint against Shahi and Lalan.

Laxmanan said the case was registered against the two ministers for the violation of model code of conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 during the elections for the 24 Legislative Council seats.

The polls passed off peacefully. An average of 94 per cent polling was recorded, the process of which began at 8am and concluded at 4pm. A total of 152 candidates are in the fray, whose fate would be decided on July 10 - the counting day.

The JDU combine - JDU (10), RJD (10), Congress (3) and NCP (1) - is locked against the NDA combine - BJP (18), LJP (4) and RLSP (2) in the Council polls, being viewed by political observers as a major electoral exercise ahead of the Assembly polls.

After casting his vote, chief minister Nitish Kumar said the BJP must stick to its words about the polls for the 24 State Legislative Council seats.

A section of the BJP leaders had described the Council polls as the "semi-final" between the NDA and Nitish Kumar-led grand secular alliance ahead of the Assembly polls.

"The BJP has made the Council polls a prestige issue. We have taken it lightly. Still, we hope to do well. But the BJP must stick to what it has said after the results are out on July 10," Nitish said at a booth under the Patna sadar seat, where around 93 per cent polling was recorded.

ACEO Laxmanan said the maximum polling percentage was witnessed in Saran and Gaya, where 98 per cent electors exercised their franchise. The lowest turnout was reported from Saharsa - 86-87 per cent.

Laxmanan said Rs 2.77 lakh was recovered from Khagaria, Begusarai and Gaya districts. The security personnel seized 13 country-made pistols, five desi kuttas, as many as 142 live cartridges and 16 magazines, two cylinder bombs, seven voters' identity cards, as many as 30 ballot papers and around 2,000 litres of illicit liquor during special operations.

The Supreme Court had yesterday allowed the Election Commission of India to go ahead with the Bihar Legislative Council polls. The Legislative Council has 75 members. Of them, 24 are elected by the local bodies, 27 by the Lower House, six by a college of graduates, six by teachers and 12 are nominated by the governor. Representatives of local bodies, including panchayats, municipal councils and corporations, today cast their votes at 534 polling booths to elect the 24 members of the Council.