Bihar Assembly election Phase 3: About 2.34 crore voters will decide fate of 1,204 candidates.
Seventy-eight assembly segments of the 243-strong Bihar Assembly are voting in the third and final phase of assembly elections in Bihar in which stakes are quite high for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is up against multiple rivals, including former ally Chirag Paswan.
About 2.34 crore voters will decide the fates of 1,204 candidates, including the Speaker and 12 members of the state cabinet in this phase. Counting of votes is scheduled on November 10.
Besides, polling will also take place for Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat where a by-election has been necessitated by the death of sitting JD(U) MP Baidyanath Mahato.
In 2015 polls , JD( U ) and BJP won 43 of these 78 seats, while the RJD-Congress combine garnered 31 seats in the third phase.
Here are the LIVE updates on Bihar elections:
Bihar assembly election 2020: Party-wise breakup of contesting candidates in third phase
RJD has fielded 46 candidates, the maximum by any party in the third phase. Chirag Paswan's LJP, which is not part of the NDA, has fielded 42 candidates.
2.35 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 1,204 candidates contesting in the third phase. Voting for the first phase was held on October 28 and for the second phase on November 3. Results will be out on November 10.
Voting is also being held for the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat, where a by-election was necessitated by the death of JD(U) MP Baidyanath Mahato.
Bihar Assembly election Phase 3: Nearly 60 countries had postponed elections due to pandemic
Pictures released by news agency ANI showed voters maintaining physical distancing as they wait to cast their vote.
Due to the pandemic, nearly 60 countries had postponed elections. Later, countries including Sri Lanka, South Korea, Croatia and Mangolia held elections. The Election Commission does meticulous planning for all polls. But this time, the "new dimension" of coronavirus created more challenges, the Chief Election Commissioner had said.
Those who are 80 and above, and those with special needs, were given the option of using postal ballot. But most of them preferred to go to the polling booth to vote, Mr Arora said.
WATCH: Sanitisation work being done at a polling booth in Muzaffarpur
Sanitisation work being done at a polling booth in Muzaffarpur. Election officials have made adequate arrangements at polling booths to prevent voters from contracting coronavirus.
Bihar Election 2020: Bihar will take decision on its future in this election, says Tejashwi Yadav"I appeal to everyone to participate in this festival of democracy & cast their votes. In this election, Bihar will take decision on its future. Nitish Ji is tired and he is unable to handle the state," RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav told news agency ANI.
Mr Tejashwi has promised 10-lakh jobs to the youth in the state.
Vote in great numbers, set new voting record: PM Modi
"Today is the third and last phase of voting in Bihar assembly elections. I request all voters to participate in this holy festival of democracy in greater numbers and set a new voting record. And of course, be sure to wear masks and mantain physical distance as well," PM Modi tweeted shortly after voting begain in third phase.
Some of the prominent candidates in this phase are the BJP's Niraj Kumar Singh in Chhatapur seat, cousin of actor Sushant Singh Rajput; Congress's Bihariganj candidate Subhashini Sharad Yadav, daughter of former Union minister Sharad Yadav; Janata Dal United's Sarairanjan candidate Vijay Kumar Choudhary, who is also the Bihar assembly Speaker, and BJP's Suresh Kumar Sharma, the Urban Development Minister contesting from Muzaffarpur.
Voting begins for the third and final phase of Bihar polls. 1,204 candidates in fray for 78 Assembly seats.
About 2.34 crore voters will decide the fates of 1,204 candidates, including the Speaker and 12 members of the state cabinet in this phase. Counting of votes is scheduled on November 10.
Seventy-eight assembly segments of the 243-strong Bihar Assembly go to polls in the third and final phase of assembly elections in Bihar in which stakes are quite high for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is up against multiple rivals, including former ally Chirag Paswan.
