Patna: Fifty seven percent voters turnout was recorded in the first phase of polling in Bihar for 49 assembly seats on Monday, according to the Election Commission. The polling remained peaceful.
Most of the constituencies that vote in the opening round are JD(U) strongholds — it won 29 seats here in alliance with the BJP in 2010.
The JD(U) is contesting 24 seats in the first phase under the new alignment and will be keen to know if the party, steered by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has been able to attract key segments, including EBCs, Mahadalits and, most importantly, the Yadavs — an early indication of whether its tie-up with Lalu Prasad’s RJD has worked at the ground level.
The RJD, which has fielded 17 candidates here, won only four seats here last time but gained ground by winning two of the eight Lok Sabha segments, wresting Banka and Bhagalpur from BJP in 2014.
On the other side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led the NDA charge by addressing a string of rallies leading to the first phase in which the BJP has fielded 27 candidates — it won 13 seats in this segment in 2010 — followed by Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP with 13.
Highlights:
6:19 pm: 57% turnout in first phase, voting peaceful
5:00 pm: Voting ends for phase one polling in Bihar.
4:00 pm: Unidentified men fired at LJP candidate Vijay Kumar Singh in Jamui constituency but he escaped unhurt. Police arrest one of the criminals involved in the attack.
3: 30 pm: 49% poll percentage recorded till 3 pm for the first phase.
3:30 pm: Polling sealed off in the naxal affected Jamui (Bihar) at 3pm.
3:12 pm: 46 percent voting recorded till 2 pm.
