Patna, Oct 21 (IANS): Polling underway in Bihar on Monday for the bye-elections to five Assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat recorded highest turnout in Kishanganj with 28 per cent polling till 12 noon, poll officials said.

Besides Kishanganj, the bye-election are taking place in Simti Bakhtiarpur, Daraunda, Nathnagar and Belhar Assembly segments.

The lone Lok Sabha seat in the bypolls is Samastipur where election was necessitated after incumbent MP Ramchandra Paswan of Lok Janshakti Party died in July 21. He was the brother of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

On the other hands, the five Assembly segments fell vacant after their representatives were elected to the Lok Sabha. A total of 51 candidates are in fray for the Assembly bypolls.

Election Commission officials said an overall 22 per cent of voting has been recorded till 12 noon, in the state.

Security personnel have been deployed in adequate numbers in all polling booths to ensure peaceful and fair voting.

The polling began at 7 a.m. amid tight security. Voting has been slow in the morning, some of the booths picked pace gradually later in the day.