New Delhi: Bihar started voting today in a three-phase election – the first amid the coronavirus pandemic – which will decide if Nitish Kumar will win a fourth term as Chief Minister. Voting is taking place in 71 of the state’s 243 seats.
The polling began at 7 a.m. for the 71 Assembly constituencies in 16 districts.
Nitish Kumar’s challenger is RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, whose promise of 10 lakh jobs has proved to be a huge draw in the backdrop of the lockdown and widespread unemployment.
The third factor in this election is Chirag Paswan, the son of the late Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan, whose rebellion against Nitish Kumar is believed by many to be backed by the BJP.
The Election Commission has drawn up elaborate safety rules for voting in the shadow of Covid.
According to the State Election Commission, 2.14 crore voters will exercise their franchise in the first phase for which 31,371 polling stations have been set up. In the first phase, 1,066 candidates, including 114 women are in the fray.
While in the non sensitive constituencies voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the sensitive ones, the polling exercise will end at 3 p.m.; while in some other areas it will last till 4 p.m. Security forces have been deployed at all polling stations.
Elections are to be held in three phases for the 243 Assembly seats in Bihar. The second phase of voting for 94 seats will be on November 3 and for the third phase of 78 seats will be on November 7. Counting will take place on November 10.
