Bihar breaks polling record with 66.11% turnout in assembly elections

The second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded peacefully on Tuesday with a record voter turnout of 67.14% till 5 pm.

The 65.08% voter turnout in the first phase, coupled with 67.14% in the second and final phase, took the overall turnout in the Bihar assembly elections to the highest-ever figure of 66.11%.

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Earlier, the highest-ever voter turnout in the state was recorded in 2000, when 62.57% of voters exercised their franchise to elect their representatives.

There was remarkable enthusiasm among women and youth, especially first-time voters, who thronged polling booths well before voting began at 7 am. Brisk polling was witnessed across the state. By 9 am, around 14.55% votes had been cast, and within two hours, the figure had more than doubled to 31.38%. By 1 pm, the turnout had reached 47.62%, and by 3 pm, it crossed the historic mark.

Till 5 pm, the highest polling was reported from the Kishanganj district (76.26%), followed by Katihar (75.23%) and Purnia (73.79%), while the lowest turnout was recorded in Nawada, where 57.11% of voters exercised their franchise.

In the Naxal-affected districts of Gaya, Jehanabad, and Jamui, strict security arrangements were made for the second phase of voting. Voter enthusiasm was evident in Jehanabad, Ghosi, and Makhdumpur constituencies. In Chormara village, one of the most Naxal-affected areas of Jamui, a polling booth was set up after 21 years. In Herhunj Pathra of Imamganj constituency in Gaya district, voting took place at the original polling centre after 25 years.

Meanwhile, reports of clashes emerged from a few places. In Araria, supporters of the BJP and the Congress clashed violently. Congress supporters alleged that BJP workers had called for an assault on Congress voters. Two BJP supporters were arrested in Motihari for distributing voter slips bearing their candidate’s photo and the party’s election symbol inside a polling booth.

In Kalabalua Panchayat, under the Raniganj constituency of the Araria district, about 1,500 voters were unable to cast their votes on Tuesday. They alleged that someone had removed a boat from the Panbharni Ghat during the night, leaving them stranded. As a result, people stood by the riverbank since morning, expressing anger against the administration.

For the first time, voters openly said they were voting for development, employment, and against migration. However, the record turnout was interpreted differently by various political parties. The JD (U) claimed that the remarkable turnout of women reflected their confidence in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership. The RJD asserted that people voted for development and employment under the leadership of INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav.

Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of the CPI (ML), said that those who had overcome the initial hurdles and safeguarded their right to vote exercised it wisely to bring change in Bihar by ending the prolonged NDA rule marked by “corrupt bureaucracy, syndicated crime, and pervasive poverty.”

Among the prominent leaders whose fate was sealed in this phase are former Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary, former Union Minister Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav, former MP Santosh Kushwaha, Congress Legislative Party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram, LJP (Ram Vilas) state President Raju Tiwairi, and AIMIM state president Akhtarul Iman.