Bihar election phase 2 voting sees 14.5% turnout till 9:00am
What's the story
The second phase of voting in the Bihar Assembly elections started on Tuesday at 7:00am, with a voter turnout of 14.5% till 9:00am. This is a slight increase from the first phase, which had recorded a turnout of 13.13% at the same time. Polling is being held across 122 constituencies in about 20 districts under tight security measures and will continue until 5:00pm.
Election details
Banka records highest voter turnout at 15.43%
Banka has recorded the highest voter turnout at 15.43%, followed by Araria (15.34%) and Aurangabad (15.14%). Gaya has recorded the lowest turnout at 13.43%. The second phase of voting is being held at 45,399 polling stations across Bihar, with a majority of voters aged between 30-60 years. Prominent candidates include Bijendra Prasad Yadav from JD(U), Prem Kumar from BJP, and Renu Devi from BJP among others.
Voter appeal
Priyanka Gandhi, Umesh Singh urge voters to support Nitish government
Amid the exercise, Janata Dal (United) leader Umesh Singh Kushwaha urged voters to support the Nitish Kumar-led government for justice and development. Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called on voters to prioritize jobs, education, health, and industry. Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Tarkishore Prasad expressed confidence in winning from Katihar, while Bihar Minister Ashok Choudhary was optimistic about NDA's victory, saying, "We have already taken a big lead and we will be in a much better position after second phase."
Security arrangements
Security personnel deployed at sensitive polling booths
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deployed security personnel at sensitive polling booths to ensure peaceful voting. Over 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed. Each constituency will have an observer to monitor voting activities, with webcasting from all polling booths for transparency. Voters are required to deposit smartphones outside polling rooms for security reasons. Voter identity can be verified using one of 12 valid photo documents, including EPIC voter card or Aadhaar card.