Bihar polls: Highest-ever voter turnout of nearly 65% in first phase

Patna: Bihar recorded the highest-ever voter turnout of nearly 65 per cent, provisionally, at the close of polling in 121 seats in the first phase of assembly elections on Thursday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said.

Addressing a press conference, Gunjiyal said the poll percentage will increase further, as data from 41,943 booths of the total 45,341 have been compiled so far.

"At the close of polling at 6 pm, around 64.46 per cent voter turnout was recorded. But this figure is provisional," he said.

"The polling percentage will increase as people who arrived at the booths before the close of polling are still voting," he said.

The Election Commission, in a statement issued in New Delhi, said the turnout was slightly higher at 64.66 per cent.

In the last assembly polls in 2020, held under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the polling percentage was 57.29.

In the first Lok Sabha polls in 1951-52, Bihar recorded a voter turnout of 40.35 per cent -- the lowest.

In the 1998 parliamentary polls, the state recorded its highest-ever turnout of 64.6 per cent.

A total of 3.75 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase, to decide the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates.

"Women voters came in large numbers to cast their votes. A lot of enthusiasm was noticed among the female voters today," the CEO said.

He said the polling passed off largely peacefully, barring a few stray incidents of clashes between supporters of different political parties in Lakhisarai and Saran.

Of the total polling stations in this phase, 36,733 were in rural areas, he added.

As per the latest available data, Muzaffarpur recorded the highest turnout of 70.96 per cent, followed by Samastipur, where the polling percentage stood at 70.63.

Madhepura recorded 67.21 per cent turnout, followed by Vaishali at 67.37 per cent, Saharsa at 66.84 per cent, Khagaria at 66.36 per cent, Lakhisarai at 65.05 per cent, Munger at 60.40 per cent, Siwan at 60.31 per cent, Nalanda at 58.91 per cent, and Patna at 57.93 per cent.

"A total of 143 complaints were received on the polling day and were immediately resolved," the CEO said.

He said polling was boycotted in certain booths in Buxar, Fatuha and Suryagarha.

The remaining 122 seats of the 243-member assembly will vote on November 11, while the counting will take place on November 14.