By IANS,
Patna : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Thursday expressed confidence that his party would perform well in the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar and the neighbouring state of Jharkhand.
Speaking after casting his vote, he said that RJD in alliance with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan would surprise everyone by sweeping polls.
Lalu Prasad cast his vote, along with his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi, elder son and daughters, at a polling station near Patna Veterinary College, which falls under the Patna Saheb constituency.
There were moments of tension inside the polling booth as some photographers followed Lalu Prasad and his wife inside, ignoring the rules set down by the Election Commission. Lalu Prasad lost his cool and chased the photographers out of the booth, while every move of his was recorded by television cameras.
The RJD chief is himself contesting from Patliputra constituency, where voting is also being held Thursday. He also is contesting from Saran constituency that went to the polls April 16.
The parents of Congress candidate from Patna Saheb Shekhar Suman also came to vote. “We voted for our son,” his ailing father Phanibhusan Prasad, 80 and his mother Usha Prasad said.
Shekhar Suman, along with his wife Alka Suman, said they had not voted as they were not registered as voters in the constituency. He said he was happy that his parents came out to vote. “It was a rare moment for us,” he added.
His opponent and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Shatrughan Sinha would also cast his vote here later in the day.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar left by train to cast his vote in Bakhtiyarpur in Nalanda constituency, where JD-U’s Kaushalendra Kumar – his handpicked candidate – faces the LJP’s Satish Kumar.
Voting for the fourth phase of parliamentary elections in three of the 40 constituencies in Bihar began Thursday morning amid heavy security arrangements in view of the Maoist threat. About 4.89 million voters in the three constituencies will decide the fate of the 57 candidates in the fray.