Bihar First Phase Election 2020 Key Highlights: 52.24% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

Bihar First Phase Elections 2020: Bihar recorded 52.24 percent voter turnout till 5 pm in the first phase of Assembly Elections 2020, which took place on November 29, 2020. The highest voter turnout was 62.50 per cent in Dhauraiya constituency, followed by 60.97 in Banka, 60.84 in Katoria and 57.41 per cent in Jamui district.

Munger recorded the lowest voter turnout at 43.64 percent, as per  data from the Election Commission. The polling percentage was 55.95 percent in Kaimur and 55.44 percent in Lakhisarai, 49.39 per cent in Rohtas, 52.16 per cent in Bhagalpur, 53.84 per cent in Buxar and 54.71 per cent in Gaya.

The first phase of Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 will decide the fate of 1066 candidates from 71 constituencies across the state, including 42 from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 35 from Janata Dal (United), 29 from BJP, 21 from Congress and 8 from Left parties. The Bihar Elections 2020 is the first-of-its-kind in India amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The people deployed on polling duties had to strictly adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols by wearing masks and gloves and using sanitizers during the voting process. All poling stations were also fully sanitized prior to the polling. All voters were also given gloves during voting and were required to maintain social distancing while queuing up to vote.

Voter Turnout till 5 pm 

The voter turnout was recorded to be around 52.24 percent till 5 pm in the first phase of Bihar Assembly Elections 2020. The voter turnout is lesser than previous turnouts, as in 2015, voter turnout was recorded to be 54. 94 percent.

Voter turnout of 52.24% recorded till 5 pm in the first phase of #BiharPolls. In 2015, voter turnout in the first phase of assembly elections was 54.94%, and 53.54% in Lok Sabha elections: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora pic.twitter.com/MXWPIrffky

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Voter Turnout till 3 pm 

Roughly, 46.29% voter turnout has been recorded till 3 pm. 

Former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi casts his vote

Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi cast his vote at a polling booth in Gaya. He said that in the first phase of state assembly elections, NDA will comfortably win around 50 seats from total 71 seats. 

Bihar: Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi casts his vote at a polling booth in Gaya during the first phase of state assembly elections.

"Out of 71 seats in phase-1, NDA will comfortably win around 50 seats," he said. pic.twitter.com/xESfOf6Oqu

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Voter Turnout till 1pm

The voter turnout was recorded to be around 33.10% till 1 pm in the first phase of Bihar Elections 2020. 

Returning Officer to file FIR against Bihar Minister Prem Kumar 

The Returning Officer will file an FIR against Bihar Minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar for violating the model code of conduct by wearing a mask with his party's symbol at the polling booth.

Returning Officer to file an FIR against Bihar Minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar for violation of the model code of conduct by wearing a mask with his party's symbol at polling booth. https://t.co/Avxy37SJic

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Differently-abled voters cast their vote 

The Jawans of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) help differently-abled voters and aged voters to reach polling booths in the Nawada district of Bihar.

Bihar: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans helping differently-abled & aged voters to reach polling booths in the Nawada district of Bihar during the first phase of polling for 71 seats. pic.twitter.com/BiFE3iDkBg

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Bihar: Differently-abled voters queue up outside a polling booth in Jahanabad district to cast their vote during the first phase of state assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/NmQea4fZo6

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Bihar First Phase Election Time

The voting in the first phase will be held from 7am till 6pm except in the Naxal-affected areas, where the voting will close at the usual 5pm. 

Voter Turnout till 11 am

Around 18.48 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11am in the first phase of Bihar Assembly Elections 2020, as per ANI tweet.

Voter turnout of 18.48% per cent recorded till 11am in the first phase of #BiharPolls.

Over 2.14 crore voters are today deciding the fate of 1,066 candidates contesting for 71 seats. pic.twitter.com/bYIVSi8Ikr

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

PM Narendra Modi addresses rally in Darbhanga

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in Raj Maidan in Darbhanga, Bihar. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election rally in Raj Maidan, Darbhanga#BiharElections2020 pic.twitter.com/vjYRE0QAkN

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Voting underway in Sasaram

Voting underway in Sasaram constituency in the first phase of Bihar Assembly polls. 

Bihar: Voting underway in Sasaram for the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections.

Visuals of voters undergoing temperature check & hand-sanitisation in a polling booth decorated with balloons pic.twitter.com/BMMNL7n0XU

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Voters of Balgudar village boycott elections

The voters of Balgudar village in Lakhisarai district have boycotted elections in protest against construction of a museum on a playground. 

Bihar: Voters of Balgudar village in Lakhisarai district boycott elections, booth number 115 wears a deserted look.

"Villagers are not voting as they're protesting against the construction of a museum on a playground," says Booth No. 115 Presiding Officer Mohammad Ikramul Haq pic.twitter.com/QpDaejRzZV

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Voter Turnout till 9 am

Around 6.74% voter turnout was recorded till 9am, out of which lowest voter turnout was recorded in Bhagalpur (3.20%) and highest in Aurangabad (11.47%).

Bihar First Phase Elections 2020: Key Contests

Gaya: Akhauri Onkar Nath (Congress) vs Prem Kumar (BJP)

Banka: Javed Iqbal Ansari (RJD) vs Ram Narayan Mandal (BJP)

Imamganj: Uday Narain Choudhary (RJD) vs Jitan Ram Manji (HAM)

Lakhisarai: Amresh Kumar Aneesh (Congress) vs Vijay Kumar Sinha (BJP)

Mokama: Anant Singh (RJD) vs Rajeev Lochan Singh (JD(U))

Kahalgaon: Shubhanand Mukesh (Congress) vs Pawan Kumar Yadav (BJP)

Paliganj: Sandeep Saurav (CPI-ML) vs Jai Vardhan Yadav(JD(U)) vs Usha Vidhyarthi (LJP)

Sasaram: Rajesh Gupta( RJD) vs Ashok Kumar (JD(U)) vs Rameshwar Prasad Chaurasia (LJP)

Jehanabad: Suday Yadav (RJD) vs Krishna Nandan Verma (JD(U)) vs Indu Devi Kashyap (LJP)

Bihar Minister Prem Kumar cycles to cast his vote

Prem Kumar, Minister of Agriculture in the Bihar Government, rode a cycle to the polling booth in Gaya to cast his vote. 

#WATCH: Bihar Minister Prem Kumar rides a cycle on his way to the polling booth to cast his vote, in Gaya. #BiharAssemblyElection2020 pic.twitter.com/9tR2AiZZz4

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Voting underway across 71 constituencies, 1066 candidates in fray

Voting for the first phase of #BiharElections underway; visuals from a polling station in Gaya pic.twitter.com/LOlxKLX09J

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

#WATCH: Voters queue up at polling booth number 219 in Aurangabad; polling for the first phase of #BiharElections is underway. pic.twitter.com/CXNoFh3p8v

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Voter Turnout till 8 am

5 percent voter turnout recorded till 8 am in the first phase of voting in Bihar Assembly Elections 2020, as per ANI tweet. 

5% voter turnout recorded till 8 am in the first phase of #BiharAssemblyElection2020

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Union Minister Giriraj Singh visits temple

Union Minister Giriraj Singh visited a temple in Barahiya, Lakhisarai before casting his vote. He appealed to everyone to vote saying,  "Election is the biggest festival of democracy."

Bihar: Union Minister Giriraj Singh casts his vote at a polling booth in Lakhisarai.

Polling for the first phase of #BiharElections is underway. pic.twitter.com/Ent0dAyNzs

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

Bihar: Union Minister Giriraj Singh visited a temple in Barahiya, Lakhisarai.

He says," Election is the biggest festival of democracy. I appeal to everyone to exercise their right to vote." #BiharPolls pic.twitter.com/Xs73MjuBTZ

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2020

PM Modi urges people to vote

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted urging all voters to ensure their participation in this festival of democracy while taking all precautions against COVID-19.

बिहार विधानसभा चुनावों में आज पहले दौर की वोटिंग है।

सभी मतदाताओं से मेरा आग्रह है कि वे कोविड संबंधी सावधानियों को बरतते हुए, लोकतंत्र के इस पर्व में अपनी हिस्सेदारी सुनिश्चित करें।

दो गज की दूरी का रखें ध्यान, मास्क जरूर पहनें।

याद रखें, पहले मतदान, फिर जलपान!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 28, 2020