As voting for the second phase of Bihar elections ended on Tuesday, 3 November, several big faces including CM Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Modi, Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi among others cast votes in Patna.
The voter turnout through the day in the second phase was at 53.51%, the Election Commission said in a press conference after the polling ended. The exact voter turnout, however, will be declared later.
The EC said that voting was peaceful in all constituencies and thanked all the workers and volunteers for seamless proceedings amid the pandemic.
Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav, Cast Votes
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar cast his vote, at a government school in Digha. “Everyone should come to cast his/her vote,” ANi quoted Nitish Kumar as saying.
Mahagathbandhan’s CM Face Tejashwi Yadav, along with his mother and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi cast their votes at polling booth number 160 in Patna.
“I appeal to people to take part in this festival of democracy. I am confident people will bring change with the power of their vote,” Tejashwi said.
“There is a need for change and development in Bihar,” Rabri Devi said, as quoted by ANI.
“Mahagathbandhan is winning everywhere, we have the whole report. People of Bihar are giving us the report,” she told ANI earlier.
RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav who is contesting from the Hasanpur seat in the Bihar assembly elections, said: “The public wants a change in Bihar. I appeal to people to cast their vote.”
BJP leader and Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi also cast his vote at polling booth number 49 at St Joseph High School in Patna’s Rajendra Nagar. “I appeal to the people to step out of their homes, cast their vote, maintain social distancing and keep wearing mask,” he said.
LJP President Chirag Paswan cast his vote at a polling booth in Khagaria.
Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan cast his vote at the polling booth at a government school in Digha, Patna. “I hope that voting percentage will be more than previous time,” he said.
RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha too cast his vote in Patna along with his family.
Former president of JNU Students Union Kanhaiya Kumar cast his vote in Begusarai district.
Key Faces in the Second Phase
Voters undergo thermal screening at a polling station before casting his vote during the second phase of Bihar assembly elections, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Patna.
(Photo: PTI)
This phase of voting will seal the fate of several high-profile candidates, including RJD leader and the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav, as well as his brother Tej Pratap Yadav.
While Tejashwi is contesting from the Raghopur seat, Tej Pratap has been fielded from Hassanpur.
Bankipur in Patna is also witnessing a tough contest between three young leaders: Shatrughan Sinha's son Luv Sinha, Nitin Naveen of BJP and Pushpam Priya Choudhary of Plurals Party.
A Multi-Cornered Contest
The Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD and the Congress, is locked in a contest with the incumbent JD(U)-BJP combine in the state. However, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has emerged as another force to reckon with in the equation, as it fights against the Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), but continues to voice support for the BJP.
The voting for the second phase commenced at 7 am with 94 seats across 17 districts in the fray this time around. There are as many as 1,500 candidates contesting, with 2.85 crore eligible voters.
The first phase of the Assembly elections in Bihar was held on 28 October, and the third and the last phase will be held on 7 November. The counting of votes will take place on 10 November.
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