Bihar registers 'highest-ever' 68.79 pc voter turnout in final phase of assembly polls: CEO

Patna, Nov 11 (PTI) A record voter turnout of 68.79 per cent was registered provisionally at close of polling in 122 seats in the second and final phase of assembly elections in Bihar on Tuesday, 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.

A total of 3.70 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase, to decide the electoral fate of 1,302 candidates, he said.

Voting took place across 45,399 polling stations, of which 40,073 were in rural areas.

As per the latest figures, districts where the voter turnout was more than 70 per cent include Katihar (78.39), Kishanganj (77.91), Purnea (75.87) and Paschim Champaran (70.75). Besides, Jamui recorded 69.63 per cent, Araria (69.54) and Gaya (68.63).

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

The counting will take place on November 14.

A total of 1,650 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), 50 companies of Bihar Special Armed Police Force and more than 42,000 personnel of district police were deployed in all 122 assembly seats for ensuring free and fair assembly polls, he said. PTI SUK NAC PKD RBT