Patna: A total of 14.55 per cent of the 3.7 crore voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of voting in the second phase of assembly elections in Bihar on Tuesday, an official said.
Gayaji district recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 15.97, followed by Kishanganj (15.81) and Jamui (15.77). Bhagalpur district recorded the lowest turnout of 13.43 per cent till 9 am.
Voting began for 122 constituencies in Bihar in the second and final phase of the high-stakes assembly polls amid tight security arrangements, he said.
The polling began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.
In this phase, the electoral fate of 1,302 candidates, including several ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, will be sealed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar urged electors to exercise their franchise in the final phase of polling and set a new voting record.
PM Modi's Tweet
"Today marks the second and final phase of voting in the Bihar assembly elections. I urge all voters to participate enthusiastically and set a new voting record. I especially urge my young friends from the state, who are voting for the first time, to not only cast their votes themselves but also inspire others to do so," the PM said on X.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's Tweet
Kumar said voting is "not only our right, but also a responsibility".
"I appeal to voters to exercise their right to vote in the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections," he said in a social media post.
The districts where voting is underway include West and East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj, all sharing borders with Nepal.
Most of these districts fall in the Seemanchal region, which has a high concentration of Muslim population, making it a high-stakes battle for both the INDIA bloc, which banks on the support of the minority community, as well as the ruling NDA, which alleges that the opposition is protecting infiltrators.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said people are "blessing the double-engine government's 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' mantra by pressing the vote button".
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
