India
Bihar witnessed its highest-ever voter turnout in the first phase of the Assembly elections, with 64.46% of eligible voters exercising their franchise on Thursday. The polling, held across 18 districts and 121 Assembly constituencies, saw enthusiastic participation from over 3.75 crore voters, according to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal.
“Voting began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm amid tight security. Around 64.46 per cent voter turnout was recorded,” Gunjiyal said. This marks the highest turnout in the state’s electoral history, surpassing the previous record of 62.57% set during the 2000 Assembly elections. The turnout even exceeded the 64.6% mark recorded in the 1998 Lok Sabha polls.
The Election Commission said polling took place smoothly across 45,341 stations, with 36,733 located in rural areas. Begusarai registered the highest voter turnout, while Sheikhpura saw the lowest. For the first time, 100% of polling stations in Bihar were monitored through live webcasting to ensure transparency and security.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, monitored the polling process throughout the day. A total of 1,314 candidates contested in this phase, and 143 complaints received by the poll body were resolved promptly, officials said.
Minor incidents were reported during the polling. In Lakhisarai, Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged that his convoy was attacked by “RJD goons” while he was responding to reports of voter intimidation. The Election Commission has sought a detailed report on the incident. In another case, the convoy of CPI(ML) Liberation MLA Satyendra Yadav was attacked in Saran district’s Manjhi constituency, though no injuries were reported.
The remaining 122 seats of the 243-member Bihar Assembly will go to polls on November 11, while the counting of votes is scheduled for November 14.
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