E-Paper
Bihar elections: Polling for 2nd phase largely peaceful, provisional turnout at 54.44%
The provisional voter turnout was 1.73 percent less than the last assembly polls (56.17 percent) in these constituencies in 2015.
Bihar recorded a provisional voter turnout of 54.44 percent during the second phase of polls which passed off peacefully in 94 assembly constituencies across 17 districts on Tuesday.
The provisional voter turnout was 1.73 percent less than the last assembly polls (56.17 percent) in these constituencies in 2015. It was also less than the first phase polls (55.69 percent) in 71 assembly constituencies on October 28.
However, Bihar chief electoral officer (CEO) HR Srinivasa expected the final voter count to go up by Wednesday.
“The final vote count in 13 assembly constituencies is yet to come. We expect the voting percentage to go up. We will be ready with the final figures by 10-11 am tomorrow,” said Bihar chief electoral officer HR Srinivasa while addressing a post-poll presser in the evening.
Patna recorded the lowest voter turnout at 48.23 percent, pointing towards the growing lack of interest among urban voters to exercise their franchise. The district election office, however, reported 51.2 percent voter turnout in Patna.
Patna’s Digha, which was the largest assembly constituency in terms of the number of electorate (4.50 lakh), recorded the lowest voter turnout at 34.5 percent, followed by Bankipur at 35.9 percent) (3.91 lakh voters) and Kumhrar at 36.4 percent (4.06 lakh electors).
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The Muzaffarpur district topped with a provisional voter turnout of 59.98 percent, followed by West Champaran (59.69 percent), Begusarai (58.82 percent), Sitamarhi (57.40 percent), East Champaran (56.75 percent), Khagaria (56.10 percent), Sheohar (56.04 percent), Samastipur (56.02 percent), Gopalganj (55.09 percent), Bhagalpur (54.85 percent), Madhubani (54.67 percent), Vaishali (54.52 percent), Darbhanga and Saran (54.15 percent each), Siwan (51.88 percent) and Nalanda (51.06 percent), according to information shared by the chief electoral officer.
Women, who comprise 1.35 crore of the 2.86 crore voters enrolled in the second phase, came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
Voting was peaceful barring sporadic instances of violence arising out of stone-pelting and sparring between two groups at Paharpur in Saran district and near booth number 58 at Kanti in Muzaffarpur district and alleged breaking of an electronic voting machine (EVM), by a youth who managed to give the security personnel the slip, at Jugni Parsa in Saran.
A total 62 preventive arrests were made and 726 illegal firearms seized across the 17 districts in the run up to the polls as well as police action taken on the polling day Tuesday. As many as 18,823 of the total 41,362 polling centres were housed in buildings of which 986 buildings were in Naxal affected areas, said a communique from the CEO office.
Reports of temporary disruption in polling due to EVM malfunction was also received early in the day.
Srinivasa said 152 control units, 219 ballot units and 540 VVPAT (voter verification audit rail) were changed following snag after commencement of polls during the day. As many as 375 control units, 333 ballot units and 647 VVPAT were changed during mock polls, before commencement of actual polling at 7 am.
A total 50,115 control units, 73,210 ballot units and 53,853 VVPAT were used during the second phase polls, he added.
Brothers Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) were among 1,463 candidates in the second phase whose fate were sealed on Tuesday.
Tej Pratap’s father-in-law Chandrika Roy, who crossed over to the JD(U) from the RJD, was contesting from the Parsa constituency in Saran district.
Four NDA ministers, including rural development and parliamentary affairs minister Shrawon Kumar of the JD(U) from Nalanda and road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav of the BJP from Patna Sahib were also in fray on Tuesday.
In the last assembly elections in 2015, the RJD (33 seats), JD(U) (30) and Congress (7) combine, as part of the Grand Alliance, had won 70 of these 94 seats. The BJP won 20, LJP 2, CPI-ML and independent 1 each.
Bihar governor Phagu Chauhan, chief minister Nitish Kumar, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Union power minister RK Singh, former chief minister Rabri Devi and RJD’s chief minister candidate and anointed heir of Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi Yadav were among the VIPs who exercised their franchise in Patna.
Bihar recorded a voter turnout of 55.69 percent during the first phase polls in 71 assembly constituencies across 16 districts on October 28. The turnout was higher than the last assembly elections in 2015 (54.94 percent), and the Lok Sabha in 2019 (53.54 percent) in these 71 constituencies.
The third and final phase of Bihar polls is on November 7. The result will be declared on November 10.
