A total of 42.31 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise till 1 pm in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections on Thursday, an official said.
Gopalganj district recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 46.73, followed by Lakhisarai (46.37) and Begusarai (46.02).
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and INDIA bloc’s CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav were among the top leaders who cast their votes in the first phase of the high-stakes assembly polls, seen as a litmus test for the ruling NDA.
"The voter turnout till 1 pm stands at 42.31 per cent. Voting is underway in 18 districts, and Lakhisarai recorded 43.67 per cent turnout by this time," the official said.
He added that the turnout so far is higher compared to the previous election at the same hour. "This is a good trend. There is a lot of enthusiasm among people, and efforts are being made to further encourage voters," he said.
In a post on X, opposition RJD alleged, “During the voting in the first phase, electricity is being cut off intermittently at the strong booths of the Mahagathbandhan with the intention of slowing down voting. Slow voting is being deliberately caused. Please, the Election Commission, take immediate cognisance of such rigging with ‘malicious intent’ and ‘mala fide intentions’ and take prompt action.” Chief Electoral Office, however, dismissed the allegations, saying, “This allegation is completely baseless and misleading. Voting is taking place smoothly at all polling stations in Bihar. The Election Commission of India is following all standard protocols to ensure that the voting process is fair, transparent, and uninterrupted. There is no basis for such misleading propaganda.”
Voting began at 7 am for 121 seats amid tight security arrangements, an official said, adding it will continue till 5 pm.
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