Bihar election phase 2: Voting for 122 seats kicks off
What's the story
Polling for the remaining 122 assembly constituencies across 20 districts in Bihar began at 7:00am on Tuesday. The first phase of voting for 121 seats was held on November 6. Voting will continue till 5:00pm, and voters who are in line by the cut-off time will be allowed to cast their votes. The counting of votes for all constituencies will take place on November 14, determining the formation of Bihar's next government.
Election overview
Over 1,300 candidates contesting in this phase
In this phase, a total of 1,302 candidates will contest for 122 assembly seats. The electorate comprises around 3.7 crore voters, including approximately 1.95 crore men and 1.74 crore women. To facilitate voting, over 45,399 polling booths have been established across the state. Security is tight, with over four lakh personnel deployed for election duties in districts bordering Nepal, such as West Champaran and East Champaran.
Election security
Stringent security measures in place
The Election Commission of India has taken stringent security measures to ensure free and fair polling. Over 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed across the state. 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.
Election details
Prominent candidates
Among the prominent candidates is BJP's Renu Devi, who is contesting for the sixth time in Bettiah (West Champaran). She is up against Madan Mohan Tiwari of the Congress. In Katihar, senior BJP leader and former deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad is contesting against Dr. Ghazi Sharique of the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP). In Jhanjharpur (Madhubani district), BJP's Nitish Mishra is up against Birendra Kumar Singh from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In Bhagalpur, BJP's Rohit Pandey faces Congress's Ajeet Sharma.
Others
Gold medalist, richest candidate on the list
Also in the race is Sumit Kumar Singh, who is currently Bihar's minister of Science and Technology. The JD(U) leader is once again contesting from the Chakai constituency. Shreyasi Singh, a gold medalist in shooting, is seeking re-election on a BJP ticket from Jamui constituency. She is up against Mohammad Shamsad Alam of the RJD. The richest candidate in Bihar, Ran Kaushal Pratap Singh, is also contesting. The Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) candidate is contesting from Paschim Champaran's Lauriya constituency.