Over 13% Voter Turnout in First Two Hours of Bihar Assembly Polls

A total of 13.13 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise within the first two hours of polling in the opening phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on Thursday, an election official told PTI.

Saharsa recorded the highest voter turnout so far at 15.27 per cent, followed by Begusarai (14.6) and Muzaffarpur (14.38).

Several prominent leaders, including RJD leader and INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, were among the early voters.

Giriraj Singh, who voted in Lakhisarai, defended the verification of identity for burqa-clad women, saying it would prevent “vote chori” (vote theft).

"This is not religious bias…. We are not living in Pakistan. Neither will Bihar have a Tejashwi Yadav government, nor will Sharia law be implemented here," he said.

Tejashwi Yadav, accompanied by his family members, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad, cast his vote at a polling booth in Veterinary College, Patna.

"I appeal to the youth to bring a change by installing a new government," Tejashwi Yadav said.

His mother and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi also urged people "to vote and bring a change", while wishing success to both her sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap.

Tejashwi Yadav’s sister Rohini Acharya expressed confidence that voters would defeat the "double-engine government" this time.

State Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin, who voted along with his wife Deepmala Srivastava at a polling booth in Patna’s Digha constituency, urged citizens to cast their votes for a developed Bihar.

Sinha and Giriraj Singh voted at their respective booths in Lakhisarai, while Lalan Singh exercised his franchise in Patna.

RJD’s singer-turned-politician Khesari Lal Yadav voted in Ekma, Saran district, while BJP leader Bikhu Bhai Dalsania also cast his vote early in the day.

A politician in Vaishali arrived at the polling booth riding a buffalo, urging others to participate in the democratic process.

Polling began at 7 AM for 121 constituencies under tight security and will continue until 5 PM, officials said.

In this first phase, 3.75 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,314 candidates, including key contenders such as Tejashwi Yadav and BJP’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

(with inputs from PTI)