Bihar Records Over 51% Polling Till 5 P.M. In Second Phase

Over 51% of the total 2.85 crore electors in 94 constituencies of Bihar exercised their franchise till 5 p.m. in the second phase of voting on Tuesday, according to Election Commission data.

Among the 17 districts where these 94 seats are located, the highest poll percentage of 54.89 has been recorded in Muzaffarpur, according to the Election Commission's Voter Turnout App, updated till 5 p.m.

The lowest turnout of 39.655% has been reported from Patna district. Its Kumhrar, an urban constituency, has recorded just 27.91% voting. The estimated overall turnout at 5 p.m. is 51.68% (provisional), the poll panel data said. The turnout during the corresponding hours in the first phase on Oct. 28 was 51.91%. Vaishali district's Raghopur, from where RJD leader and chief ministerial candidate of the opposition Grand Alliance Tejashwi Yadav is contesting, has recorded 54% polling, as per the EC data.

Hasanpur, from where Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav is in the fray, has recorded an estimated 54.25% votes till 5 p.m. Fifty-one per cent voting was recorded in Parsa from where JDU's Chandrika Roy, the father of Tej Pratap's estranged wife Aishwarya, is contesting. Prominent personalities including Governor Phagu Chauhan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, Tejashwi Yadav, and LJP president Chirag Paswan cast their votes in their respective polling booths in the morning. Kumar did not speak to the media waiting outside the polling station, while Tejashwi Yadav said after casting the ballot that people are "angry" with the government and they will vote for education, health, irrigation and law and order.

Former chief minister and Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi said Bihar needed change. Polling began at 7 a.m., but the time for its conclusion has been extended by one hour till 6 p.m. to facilitate Covid-19 patients and those with symptoms of the disease to exercise their franchise during the final hour.

The process, however, concluded early in Maoist-hit areas.

The Election Commission had said voting would end at 4 p.m. in eight seats -- Gaura Bauram and Kusheshwar Asthan in Darbhanga district; Minapur, Paroo and Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur; Alauli and Beldour in Khagaria; and Raghopur in Vaishali.