Bihar records highest-ever voter turnout; likely to cross 70 per cent

A record voter turnout of 68.79 per cent was registered provisionally at the close of polling in 122 seats in the second and final phase of Assembly elections in Bihar on Tuesday (November 11), Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said.

In the first phase of voting on November 6, 65.08 per cent of the electorate had exercised their franchise.

“Total voter turnout of both phases is 66.90 per cent (provisional), which is 9.6 per cent more than the last assembly polls,” Gunjiyal said.

The high-stakes assembly elections is seen as a veritable referendum on the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The turnout percentage will further increase as the Election Commission has not compiled the data of 2,000 polling booths, out of a total of 45,399 booths, the CEO said. “After the deadline for voting ended, around 68.79 per cent turnout was recorded. But, this figure is provisional,” Gunjiyal said.

Polling for the last phase passed off largely peacefully, he said.

Highest turnout in Kishanganj - 76.26

Kishanganj, the lone Muslim-majority district in the state, recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 76.26, followed by adjoining Katihar (75.23), Purnea (73.79), Supaul (70.69), and Araria (67.79).

Most of the districts are situated along the border with Nepal, many of them falling in the state’s north-eastern region of Kosi-Seemanchal, flood prone and with a high percentage of the minority community.

Also Read: 'Paltu Ram' tag aside, Nitish still electoral linchpin, but will he be CM again?

Voting turnout has also been high in south Bihar districts like Jamui (67.81 pc), Gaya (67.50 pc), and Kaimur (67.22 pc). The lowest turnout (57.31 pc) was recorded in Nawada, the only district that did not touch the 60 per cent mark till 5 pm.

High stakes for both blocs

Although Nitish Kumar, who is a member of the state legislative council, is not himself contesting the polls, the BJP-led NDA is banking on “good governance” during the tenure of the JD(U) president to tackle the anti-incumbency factor.

The second phase, in which eight ministers of his cabinet are in the fray, involves high stakes for the ruling NDA, as also the opposition INDIA bloc, which pins its hopes on the anti-incumbency factor, as well as the high concentration of Muslims in many of the poll-bound districts.

The second phase is of particular significance for the Congress, a spent force which is, nonetheless, the second-largest constituent of the INDIA bloc in Bihar. Of the 19 seats it had won in 2020 assembly polls, 12 go to polls in the current phase. Its sitting MLAs include state president Rajesh Kumar Ram (Kutumba) and Shakeel Ahmed Khan (Kadwa).

Record 65.09 turnout in first phase

In the first phase, on November 6, a "record" 65.09 per cent of 3.75 crore electors, across 121 constituencies had cast their vote, which both rival groups claim to be to their advantage.

However, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, the proverbial “X factor” in the elections, believes that the spike in voting percentage is due to the fact that people of the state, who had been in search of an "alternative", have found one in his barely a year-old outfit.

Also Read: Bihar election: Why Seemanchal's political landscape appears set to change

Voting began for 122 constituencies in Bihar in the second and final phase of the high-stakes assembly polls amid tight security arrangements. The polling began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.

In this phase, the electoral fate of 1,302 candidates, including several ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, will be sealed.

Modi, Nitish urged voters to exercise franchise

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar urged electors to exercise their franchise in the final phase of polling and set a new voting record.

"Today marks the second and final phase of voting in the Bihar assembly elections. I urge all voters to participate enthusiastically and set a new voting record. I especially urge my young friends from the state, who are voting for the first time, to not only cast their votes themselves but also inspire others to do so," the PM said on X.

Nitish Kumar said voting is "not only our right, but also a responsibility".

"I appeal to voters to exercise their right to vote in the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections," he said in a social media post.

Also Read: Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram faces a tough fight in Kutumba

The districts where voting is underway include West and East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, and Kishanganj, all sharing borders with Nepal.

Most of these districts fall in the Seemanchal region, which has a high concentration of Muslim population, making it a high-stakes battle for both the INDIA bloc, which banks on the support of the minority community, as well as the ruling NDA, which alleges that the opposition is protecting infiltrators.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said people are "blessing the double-engine government's 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' mantra by pressing the vote button".

Minor clash

A minor clash took place between supporters of different political parties near a booth in Warisaliganj area in Bihar’s Nawada district during the final phase of voting on Tuesday.

Speaking to PTI, Nawada Superintendent of Police Abhinav Dhiman said, “A minor clash took place between supporters of different political parties around 1.5 km away from the polling booth. Officials concerned and security personnel are at the spot and they are looking into the matter. The situation in the area is completely under control and voting is underway smoothly.”

He said that rumours that a government vehicle engaged in poll duty has been damaged are completely baseless and claimed that the damaged vehicle is a private one and has nothing to do with poll duty.

A video purportedly showing the clash has gone viral on social media. In the video, a person was heard saying that he was beaten by his opponents for not casting a vote in favour of a particular party.

Security stepped up

Security was beefed up across Bihar for the second phase of the assembly polls with over 4 lakh personnel engaged in election duties, officials said.

Most of these districts fall in the Seemanchal region, which has a high concentration of Muslim population, making it a high-stakes battle for both the INDIA bloc, which banks on the support of the minority community, as well as the ruling NDA, which alleges that the opposition is “protecting infiltrators”.

Prominent candidates

Prominent candidates include Bijendra Prasad Yadav, a veteran JD(U) leader and the most senior member of the state cabinet, who seeks to retain his Supaul seat for a record eighth term.

Similar is the case of his cabinet colleague Prem Kumar, who belongs to the BJP and is trying his luck from Gaya Town, which he has won seven times on the trot since 1990.

Other ministers whose electoral fates are at stake include BJP’s Renu Devi (Bettiah) and Neeraj Kumar Singh “Bablu” (Chhatapur), and JD(U)’s Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), Sheela Mandal (Phulparas) and Zama Khan (Chainpur).

Another prominent BJP leader who is in the fray is former deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad, who seeks to retain the Katihar seat for a fifth consecutive term.

Katihar district is also home to Balrampur and Kadwa assembly seats, where a hat-trick is being aimed at by Mehboob Alam and Shakeel Ahmed Khan, the legislative party leaders of CPI(ML) Liberation and the Congress respectively.

NDA constituents face litmus test

The second and final phase is also being seen as a veritable test of strength for minor NDA partners Hindustani Awam Morcha, headed by Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, both of which have got six seats each.

All six seats contested by HAM are going to the polls in the second phase. Four of these, Imamganj, Barachatti, Tikari, and Sikandra, are currently held by the party, and the sitting MLAs have been given the chance to try their luck again.

Notably, Manjhi held the Imamganj seat till he got elected to the Lok Sabha from Gaya last year, and it was retained in the ensuing by-poll by his daughter-in-law Dipa. Barachatti is held by Dipa’s mother Jyoti Devi.

Candidates of the RLM, which was floated barely a couple of years ago and has no representation in the state legislature, include Kushwaha’s wife Snehlata and his most trusted aide Madhaw Anand, who are making their debut from Sasaram and Madhubani, respectively.

Four of the six candidates fielded by the party are going to the polls in the second phase.

Another important candidate in the fray is state Congress president Rajesh Kumar, who hopes to retain the reserved seat of Kutumba for a second consecutive term.

Turncoats in the fray

A number of turncoats are also in the fray. These include Mohania MLA Sangita Kumari, who won the seat as an RJD candidate in 2020 but is now contesting on a BJP ticket, and Vibha Devi, the MLA from Nawada, who recently quit the opposition and joined the JD(U).

Similar is the case of Murari Gautam, who was a minister from the Congress quota in the 'Mahagathbandhan' government and crossed over to the NDA when Nitish Kumar realigned with the BJP last year.

He is now in the fray from his sitting seat of Chenari on the ticket of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan.

Another keenly-watched candidate will be Chanakya Prakash Ranjan, whose father is a former state minister and second term JD(U) MP from Banka, who raised many eyebrows by joining the RJD ahead of the assembly polls.

He is contesting the Belhar seat on the opposition party’s symbol.

The demographics

More than half of the electorate (2.28 crore) is aged between 30 and 60 years. Only 7.69 lakh are in the 18-19 years age group.

The total number of women voters in the 122 constituencies is 1.75 crore.

The Hisua seat in Nawada district has the largest electorate (3.67 lakh), while Lauria, Chanpatia, Raxaul, Triveniganj, Sugauli, and Banmakhi have the most number of candidates (22 each).

(With agency inputs)