Staggered polls begin today in nine municipalities in Barisal division amid reports of sporadic violence and allegations of violation of code of conduct by candidates.

The polls will continue till May 10.

Polls in Banaripara and Nalchiti will be held today, followed by Patuakhali and Barguna on May 6; Bakerganj on May 8; Motbaria, Patherghata and Jhalakathi on may 9 and Gournadi on May 10.

Election at Baufal municipality was also scheduled to be held today but was postponed by the High Court on May 2 following a writ petition by a voter alleging false voters in the voter list.

Election Commission sources here said BDR and APBN battalions have been deployed at all the municipalities as "most of the

polling centres" in the areas are vulnerable.

A total of 43 candidates are in the race for ten posts of municipal chairman, 349 for 90 posts of ward commissioner and 102 for 30 reserved seats of women ward commissioners.

Among the 43, 20 are from ruling BNP, 14 from opposition Awami League and eight are independent candidates. The lone women candidate for the post of municipal chairman is from Jatiya Party (Ershad).

Fourteen chairman candidates-- nine from BNP and five from AL-have been expelled from their parties for contesting the polls violating party decisions, according to sources in the parties.

The nine expelled from BNP include three in Nalchiti, two in Jhalakathi, one in Patuakhali and one each in Bakerganj and

Motbaria.

The five chairman candidates expelled from AL include two in Gournadi and one each in Bakerganj, Patuakhali and Jhalakathi.

Election observers said in most of the municipalities, candidates belonging to the Four-party Alliance and the opposition AL are the main contenders.

Acommon allegation by opposition candidates is use of official position and protocol by ministers in campaign for their party candidates.

Many opposition candidates have demanded deployment of army for holding of free and fair polls.

Sporadic incidents of clash between rival campaigners took place at several places but there has been to report of death.