Bihar polls: Over 47 per cent turnout in second phase, 5 per cent higher than first

Over 47 per cent of voters cast their ballots till 1 pm in the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections — nearly five per cent higher than the first phase — with districts like Gaya, Jamui, and Kishanganj witnessing heavy turnout

Patna: Polling for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, which started on a brisk note on Tuesday morning, is expected to script a new record by the time voting culminates this evening, echoing the similar trajectory of the first phase.

More than 47 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots till 1 p.m., which is almost 5 per cent more than the first phase for the corresponding period, thus raising hopes of record voting in the second phase as well.

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As per the official Election Commission estimates, Gayaji, Jamui, and Banka recorded more than 50 per cent voter turnout, while many other districts like East and West Champaran, Purnia, and Katihar saw more than 48 per cent people exercising their franchise.

Kishanganj, the district bordering Bengal and a predominantly Muslim-dominated region, witnessed the highest voter turnout till 1 pm at 51.86 per cent. If the similar voting pattern persists, the second phase too is set to script a new record and may end higher than the first phase.

As the voting commenced this morning, multiple polling booths across the poll-bound districts saw people, including women, standing in long queues. Till 9 a.m., the voting was recorded at about 15 per cent.

The first phase of the Bihar elections, clocking 64.49 per cent polling, shattered all previous records as the state never saw more than 63 per cent voting since Independence. The record-breaking count of voters has made the elections exciting and also left the political parties in a state of ‘nervous excitement’.

While the Opposition sees it as a mandate against the incumbent, the ruling alliance calls it a pro-incumbency wave and a vote of confidence in the Nitish-led double-engine government. The Bihar elections have also been in the spotlight over the Election Commission’s rollout of many firsts, including medical centres and mobile phone storage facilities at the polling booths.

The elections, the first after Special Intensive Revision (SIR), also saw Opposition parties tearing into the poll panel for ‘hurriedly’ executed voter verification, which they claimed was akin to robbing the voters of their rights.