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          New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) Bihar's  third phase assembly polls saw 53.65 percent voting, the Election Commission  said here Thursday. This is more than the 47.36 percent  recorded in the 2005 assembly polls, and 43.75 percent in 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
 
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	  Polling was held in 48  constituencies in six districts of East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj,  Sivan, Saran and Vaishali, covering a total population of 10,376,022.
  According to the Election  Commission, the polling was peaceful barring some minor incidents.   'The poll percentage is increasing,  there may be many reasons including voter awareness programmes and confidence  building messages,' Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi said in New  Delhi.   'There is also increase in number of  women voters, they could reach the polling stations fearlessly,' he said. Some minor incidents reported  included arrest of a constable and a polling officer Keshav Kumar Pandey in  Gopalganj for arriving on duty in a drunken state. A voter, Lala Rai was also  arrested in Vaishali for damaging a ballot unit.
  No incidents of booth capturing were  reported. Some 221 arrests were made before the polls as preventive measure and  91 vehicles were impounded. The election commission also informed that poll  boycott was reported from 3 booths in East Champaran, West Champaran and  Gopalganj, on development issues.   
      
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