In the "highest ever" voter turnout in Bihar, nearly 65% of 3.75 crore electors voted on Thursday across 121 constituencies in the first phase of the assembly polls, which marks the beginning of a closely watched high-stakes contest that is seen as a litmus test of the ruling NDA's popularity.
In a statement, the Election Commission said the first phase of the assembly elections concluded peacefully "in a festive mood with the highest ever voter turnout of 64.66% in the history of Bihar".
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said women came out in large numbers to cast their votes, with "a lot of enthusiasm".
Reacting to the high voter turnout, the BJP, RJD, Congress and Jan Suraaj claimed that it was indicative of their respective victories.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate, said, "I salute the people of Bihar for the bumper voting. I can now confidently say you have affirmed the victory of 'Mahagathbandhan'."
Senior BJP leader and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary told a press conference, “We are going to win about 100 of the seats which went to polls today. The overall tally for the NDA will surpass the 2010 record of 206 seats”.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor claimed the highest voter turnout was a sign of the people's yearning for a change. "After November 14, when votes will be counted, Bihar will have a new regime".
Congress' Pawan Khera said the high voter turnout suggests that "we are going to get a clear majority".
The NDA, which has been in power in the state for 20 years, except for a few brief interruptions, is banking on its image of "sushasan" (good governance) in contrast to the alleged "jungle raj" of the RJD-Congress combine, while the opposition bloc relies on anti-incumbency and the unprecedented "jobs-for-every-home" promise to outperform the ruling alliance.
The polls for the 243-member assembly are being closely watched not only for their local implications but also as an early indicator of the political mood ahead of 2029, and follow the highly controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls by the EC, which came under attack from opposition parties for alleged "rigging" and "manipulation" of voter lists.
The second and the last phase will be held on November 11, and the counting will take place on November 14.
Stakes are high for both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, with several key leaders, including RJD's Yadav, Deputy CMs Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, besides a slew of ministers, being among the 1,314 candidates in fray in this phase.
Stray incidents of violence, including an alleged attack on Sinha's vehicle, were reported from some areas during the polling.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed rallies in a couple of constituencies going to polls in the second and final phase, felt that the noticeably high number of women turning up to vote was a good sign for the NDA.
"Mothers, daughters, and sisters have been the worst sufferers of 'jungle raj'. Today, they seem to have put up a fortress around polling booths to prevent the return of 'jungle raj'," Modi remarked.
The NDA hopes that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s record, along with recent welfare measures such as 125 units of free power, Rs 10,000 cash transfers to over 1 crore women, and an increase in social security pensions, will help counter anti-incumbency.
However, the opposition dismissed the boasts of the BJP-led coalition and hoped that people would vote for a change.
RJD president Lalu Prasad, who hopes that his younger son and heir apparent Yadav will form the next government, said on X, "If a roti is not flipped on a tawa (pan), it gets burnt. Twenty years is a long time. A Tejashwi government is essential to build a new Bihar."
There have also been allegations and counter-allegations from both sides on the polling day.
Sinha, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term from Lakhisarai, claimed that one of the cars in his convoy was attacked by RJD supporters trying to “intimidate” voters belonging to extremely backward classes.
On the other hand, the RJD alleged on X that voting had been "deliberately slowed down" in areas where the INDIA bloc was strongly placed, a charge promptly rejected by the EC.
A notable feature of this election has been the presence of Kishor's Jan Suraaj, which the former political strategist believes could emerge as the proverbial dark horse.
Polling was held across 18 districts, with Muzaffarpur and Samastipur recording the highest turnouts, as per the latest available data.
Muzaffarpur recorded a turnout of 70.96%, while the polling percentage in Samastipur stood at 70.63. Madhepura recorded 67.21% turnout, followed by Vaishali at 67.37%, Saharsa at 66.84%, Khagaria at 66.36%, Lakhisarai at 65.05%, Munger at 60.40%, Siwan at 60.31%, Nalanda at 58.91%, and Patna at 57.93%.
According to the EC, the assembly elections of 1951-52 saw the lowest voter turnout in the state at 42.6%, while the one in 2000 saw the highest turnout before this, at 62.57%.
In 2020 polls, held under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, a voter turnout of 57.29% was recorded, while in 2015, it was 56.91%, and 52.73% in 2010.
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