Bihar Assembly Elections: Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav cast votes

Polling is underway for 94 seats in the second phase of the Bihar assembly election.

The second phase of polls in the Bihar assembly election began peacefully with 8.05% percent average voting recorded in 94 seats spread over 17 districts til 9 am. Top politicos including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar , leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, former chief minister Rabri Devi cast their votes at different booths in Patna.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote during the second phase of Bihar assembly election in Patna on Tuesday. (HT PHOTO)

In nine seats in Patna district, the voting percentage recorded till 9 am was 9.52% while Nalanda –the home district of Nitish Kumar- recorded 9.61 %, Samastipur, 9.38%. Vasali, 8.24%, Muzaffarpur, 9.08%, West Champaran , 9.68 . Districts where average voting percentage was low include Khagaria ( 5.12%), Saran ( 7.66%) , Siwan,6.75%.

Nitish Kumar cast his vote at a booth in Raj Bhawan. “ People should vote. My best wishes to them,” he said, after casting is vote at around 9.30 am. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and Governor Phagu Chouhan also cast their votes.

Opposition leader and RJD’s CM face Tejashwi Prasad Yadav , who visited booth number 160 at Veterinary college ground along with mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi, said people of the state was keen on bringing change and the mandate would reflect it.

“ People want change (Parivartan) and there is wave for it,” he said, asserting there was favourable response to this party’s vision of addressing issues related to jobs, irrigation, education, income and resolving public issues

“Sinchai, Kamaai, Dawai, Padhai , Sunwai and Karwahi (irrigation, income, education, implementation) are our main focus and people are looking at it. I have written to Prime Minister Modi on issues like migration, employment and underdevelopment in Bihar. I hope he responds to these issues during his rallies today,” he said. The 31-year-old also appealed to voters to stay safe and cast their votes by following all Covid related safeguards.

Former chief minister Rabri Devi too said there was ‘wave for change’ and people would vote for it. “ Badlaav ki Ganga baha rahi hai( it is the current of change ),” she said.

Lok Janshakti Party ( LJP) chief Chirag Paswan cast his vote at Belhahi middle school booth at teh family’s native village of Shaharbanni village in Alauli assembly seat in Khagaria in the morning. In a tweet, Paswan appealed to voters to exercise their franschise and sought support for implementing his party’s document vision of Bihari 1st, Bihar 1st.

In the morning hours, voting in 94 assembly constituencies also witnessed malfunctioning of EVMs at few booths in Darbhanga and Samastipur, which were addressed by the election officials, reports.