Bihar Elections Voting Percentage HIGHLIGHTS | 71 Seats Record 53.24% Turnout As Phase 1 Polling Concludes
Bihar Phase 1 Polling HIGHLIGHTS, Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Polling began Wednesday morning in 71 assembly constituencies of Bihar in the first phase of three-phase elections amid tight security and COVID-19 guidelines in place. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed people to exercise their franchise but at the same time to follow the Covid-19 protocol in place. Meanwhile, campaigning for the second phase is also going on with full swing as PM Modi held three rallies and Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to hold two rallies in the state. Stay tuned for all the LIVE & latest updates related to the first phase of polling in Bihar Assembly Polls.
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Background
Bihar Phase 1 Polling HIGHLIGHTS, Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: Braving the pandemic, the residents of Bihar are turning out to cast their votes to elect their representatives to the Bihar legislative assmebly. The voting for the 71 seats in fray began early in the morning at 7 am amid tight security and COVID-19 guidelines in place. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in the morning asking people to exercise their franchise. It is to be noted that Bihar is the first in country to go for to polls from October 28 even as the world continues to be under the grip of Covid-19 pandemic.
Of the nearly 2.15 crore electors eligible to exercise the franchise, 1.12 crore are male, 1.01 crore female and 599 are categorised as third gender, according to data provided by the Election Commission.
Guidelines have been issued by the Commission for safe conduct of the electoral exercise in the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
These guidelines include lowering the maximum number of voters for a polling booth from 1,600 to 1,000, staggering of polling hours and extending postal ballot facility for those above 80. Besides, sanitisation of electronic voting machines, wearing of masks and other protective gear by polling personnel and the availability of thermal scanner, hand sanitiser, soap and water has also to be ensured at polling stations.
The candidates in the fray in the first phase include 952 men and 114 women.
As many as 33 of the constituencies going to polls in the first phase have been declared as sensitive or hypersensitive constituencies, the poll panel said.
It said 31,371 polling stations have been set up in this phase and as many Electronic Voting Machines and Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will be used.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said there was anger among small shopkeepers, youths, farmers and labourers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Bihar.
Addressing his second poll rally of the day at Kusheswar Asthan in Darbhanga, the former Congress president also said it was sad that Prime Minister Modis effigy was burnt in Punjab on the occasion of Dusshera.
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