Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Bihar recorded a turnout of 60.40 per cent in the second phase of Assembly polls till 5 pm on November 11, according to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI).Kishanganj recorded the highest turnout at 51.86% while Madhubani recorded the lowest turnout at 43.39%.
Out of the 122 seats which are under polls right now, assembly constituency 225, Garua recorded the highest turnout of 55.91%. Meanwhile, Assembly 237, Nawada recorded a sluggish turnout of 38.93%, the lowest among all seats. The voter turnout has jumped by 16 percentage points since 11:00 am , with turnout recorded at 31.38% till then. Out of the 20 districts, 11 assembly seats are in East Champaran, 10 each in Madhubhani and Gaya, nine in West Champaran, eight in Sitamarhi, and seven each in Bhagalpur, Rohtas, Purnia, and Katihar. Six assembly seats have gone to the polls in Araria and Aurangabad each.
The NDA hopes to continue its dominance in the state, while the RJD and Congress are hoping to break JD(U) leader Nitish Kuma’s two-decade-run as Bihar Chief Minister. While the RJD in alliance with the JD(U) won the 2015 Bihar elections, the alliance broke soon after. Now, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, supported by the Congress, is fighting to break the RJD’s electoral jinx. The key candidates include Bijendra Prasad Yadav, a veteran JD(U) leader and the most senior member of the state cabinet, who seeks to retain his Supaul seat for a record eighth term.
Voting for bypolls is also underway in eight Assembly constituencies across six Indian states and one UT. These include: Budgam and Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, Anta in Rajasthan, Ghatsila in Jharkhand, Jubilee Hills in Telangana, Tarn Taran in Punjab, Dampa in Mizoram, and Nuapada in Odisha.
