Five years since Bihar became the first state to go to polls after the Covid pandemic gripped the world, the assembly election cycle is back in the state with voting scheduled across two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14.
The election will decide the fate of the ruling National Democratic Alliance government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, which is being challenged by the INDIA bloc comprising the RJD, Congress, and Left parties. Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party is also positioning itself as a potential alternative force.
The upcoming election comes 25 years after Jharkhand was carved out from southern Bihar. In March 2000, Nitish Kumar was elected Chief Minister of the new Bihar for the first time. Before 2000, elections were held in undivided Bihar in a single phase.
There are a total of 7.42 crore voters in Bihar, including 3.92 crore men, 3.5 crore women, and around 14 lakh first-time voters. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Bihar recorded the lowest turnout at 56.19%.
Voter turnout in the past
In the 2020 Assembly elections that took place amid Covid-19, the NDA secured a majority with 125 seats. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan won 110 seats. The state recorded a voter turnout of 56.93 per cent.
In the 2020 polls, women's turnout stood at 60 per cent, compared to 54 per cent for men. The total turnout was 62.57%.
This was higher than the polling percentage of 56.6 per cent in 2015.
In the 2015 election, 60.48% of female voters exercised their franchise compared to 53.32% among men. In the 2020 election, while 59.58% of female voters cast their votes, only 54.68% men exercised their franchise. In 2010, voting was held in six phases in October and November and the total turnout was recorded at 52.67 %. The male voter turnout was recorded at 51.12 % while 54.49 % women cast their vote.
In the February 2005 election, the turnout was approximately 46.5%, while in the October 2005 re-election, the turnout was about 45.85%. In February 2005, the share of women who voted stood at 42.51% while in comparison, 49.94% of the men exercised their franchise.
However, in the October 2005 election, more women turned out to vote at 44% while the figure for men fell.
After assuming office in 2005, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tried to build an electorate constituency for himself among women. He has wooed women voters with schemes such as bicycle for girls, financial aid for girl's education up to graduation, and key reform of 50 per cent reservation to women in panchayats and 35 per cent in government jobs among other initiatives.
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