Patna, Apr 11 (IANS): Despite several villages boycotting polling on the issue of development, over 20 per cent of 70 lakh voters from Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui in Bihar voted on Thursday in the first four hours of the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state.

Peaceful voting has taken place till 11 a.m., a poll official said on the day when 44 candidates were in the fray.

Momentary panic was caused earlier in the day when crude bombs were recovered near polling booths at three places in Gaya and one in Aurangabad. All bombs were promptly defused by the police.

At more than half a dozen villages in Gaya, Jamui and Nawada, people boycotted polls for lack of roads, schools, and health centres.

According to officials of the State Election Commission here, more than 41,000 security personnel have been deployed in the Maoist-affected districts that have gone to the hustings in the first of the seven phased polls in the state.

Three helicopters were providing air cover to security forces in these areas.

"In the initial one and half hours of voting, people were seen standing before polling booths. It was a slow start but polling has since picked up pace," the official said.

There have been some reports of problems with EVM machines at several booths in Gaya, Nawada and Jamui districts. No violence has been reported so far.