57.59% cast vote in fourth phase of Bihar polls

The phase witnessed the highest voter turnout so far

More than 57.59 per cent of the electorate in 55 constituencies exercised their voting right on Sunday in the fourth round of the Bihar Assembly elections. This phase witnessed the highest voter turnout so far. The voter turnouts in the earlier rounds were 57, 55 and 53 per cent. The voting percentage in the fourth phase is also higher than the average of 54.28 per cent recorded in the 2010 Assembly polls and marginally higher than 57.33 per cent of the last year's general election.

On Sunday, the highest voter turnout was recorded in East Champaran district, where almost 60 per cent of the electorate cast their vote. However, in Siwan, only less than 55 per cent of the voters turned up to vote. Continuing with the earlier trends, more than 60 per cent of the women voters exercised the franchise, while only 54.50 men turned up to vote.

In Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad's home turf of Gopalganj, the turnout was 58.9 per cent. In West Chamaparan, the turnout was 59.17 per cent, while Muzaffarpur recorded a turnout of 56.83 per cent.

Barring a few stray incidents, the polling remained peaceful. The police had to use mild force to disperse supporters of Hindustani Awam Morcha candidate Lovely Anand, who, according to the poll officials, tried to disturb the polling. An FIR has been filed against the candidate and her supporters at the local police station. More than 1,000 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces and state police were deployed to ensure peaceful polling.

Considering the results of the last Assembly election in 2010, the stakes are especially high for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Of the 55 seats, the saffron party had won 26 and won all the parliamentary constituencies in the last year's general election. The BJP's hold over upper castes, Lalu's popularity on his home turf of Gopalganj and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's political clout will be tested in this phase. Among the prominent personalities in the fray include Ramai Ram, Ranju Geeta and Manoj Kushwaha.