Bihar records nearly 33% polling till 1 pm; Nitish, Tejashwi cast votes

Nearly 33 per cent of the total 2.85 crore electors exercised their franchise till 1 pm on Tuesday in 94 constutiencies of Bihar during the second phase of assembly elections.

The highest poll percentage of 41.25 has been recorded in Muzaffarpur among the 17 districts, where the 94 seats are located, according to the Election Commission's Voter Turnout App, updated till 1 pm.

The lowest turnout so far has been reported from Darbhanga at 26.73 per cent, followed by Patna at 28 per cent.

The estimated overall turnout at 1 pm is 32.82 per cent, the poll panel data said.

Vaishali district's Raghopur, from where RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is contesting the elections in the second phase, has recorded 36.09 per cent votes in the first six hours, as per the EC data.

Hasanpur, from where Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav is in the fray, has recorded an estimated 38.83 per cent votes till 1 pm. Thirty one per cent voting was recorded in Parsa from where JDU's Chandrika Roy, the father of Tej Pratap's estranged wife Aishwarya, is contesting.

Prominent personalities including Governor Phagu Chauhan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, Mahagathbandhan's CM face Tejashwi Yadav, and LJP chief Chirag Paswan have already cast their votes in respective polling booths.

Kumar did not speak to the media waiting outside the polling station, while Tejashwi said after casting the ballot that people are "angry" with the government and they will vote for education, health, irrigation and law and order.

Former CM and Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi said Bihar needed change.

Polling began at 7 am, but the time for its conclusion has been extended by one hour till 6 pm to facilitate COVID-19 patients and those with symptoms of the disease to exercise their franchise during the final hour.

The process, however, will conclude early in Maoist-hit areas.

The Election Commission said voting will end at 4 pm in eight seats -- Gaura Bauram and Kusheshwar Asthan in Darbhanga district, Minapur, Paroo and Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur, Alauli and Beldour in Khagaria, and Raghopur in Vaishali.