Bihar recorded its highest ever voter turnout of 67.14% in the second and final phase of polling for the Assembly elections Tuesday, even as all the exit polls predicted a comfortable victory for the incumbent NDA.
The turnout figure, registered till 5 pm, surpassed all previous polling records in Bihar since 1951, according to the office of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Gunjiyal.
The exit polls, which declared their projections after the completion of voting, unanimously gave the NDA coalition, led by the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), a tally well above the majority mark of 122 seats in the 243-member House. They estimated that the RJD-led Opposition Mahagathbandhan would get around 100 or lesser number of seats.
The exit polls predicted that the new entrant in the fray, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj, would not touch double digits in the elections.
While Dainik Bhaskar poll predicted 145-160 seats for the NDA, 73-91 for the Mahagathbandhan, and 5-7 for others, the Times Now-JVC poll gave 135-150 seats to the NDA, 88-103 to the Mahagathbandhan, and 3-6 seats to others.
The IANS-Matrize predicted 147-167 seats for the NDA, 70-90 for the Mahagathbandhan and 2-8 for others. The P-Marq poll projected 142-162 seats for the NDA, 80-98 for the Mahagathbandhan and 0-3 for others.
In the second phase, polling was held in 122 constituencies across 20 districts in several regions including Seemanchal, Champaran, and Magadh, where the fight between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan has traditionally been fierce.
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As per the Bihar CEO’s office, the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal recorded the highest turnout with an average of 73.77%. It was driven by heavy polling in the region’s districts including Kishanganj (76.26%), Katihar (75.23%), Purnia (73.79%), and Araria (67.79%).
The Champaran region registered a turnout of 69.17%, which include Purvi Champaran (69.31%) and Paschim Champaran (69.02%).
The Ang region, comprising Bhagalpur (66.03%), Banka (68.91%), and Jamui (67.81%), logged an average turnout of 67.58%.
The Mithilanchal region saw 66.77% turnout, led by Supaul (70.69%), Sheohar (67.31%), Sitamarhi (65.29%), and Madhubani (61.79%).
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Magadh emerged as the region with the lowest average turnout at 63.30%, followed by Shahabad at 63.96%. These are considered as the Mahagathbandhan’s stronghold regions.
In these 122 constituencies, which are mostly concentrated along Bihar’s borders with Nepal, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, the BJP was the leading party in the 2020 Assembly polls en route to a narrow NDA majority in the House. The NDA had then bagged 125 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Congress, had won 110, with others getting eight seats.
Poll officials attributed the surge in turnout partly to the deletion of over 65 lakh ineligible names from the electoral rolls during the Election Commission (EC)’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which they said had improved the accuracy of voter lists. “The refinement of the rolls, coupled with voter awareness initiatives, has likely contributed to higher participation,” an official said.
The first phase of polling, held on November 6 across 18 districts, had already set a record of 65.08% turnout – a sharp jump from overall 57.29% in the 2020 Assembly elections.
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Tuesday voting has now pushed Bihar’s poll turnout level to an all-time high. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.
The EC stated that its various logistical improvements helped facilitate the record turnout. To reduce waiting time and crowding, the maximum number of voters per booth was reduced from 1,500 to 1,200, resulting in an expanded polling network.
The EC said polling remained “peaceful and incident-free” across the state in the second phase. The poll body made extensive security arrangements. Around 1,500 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), 50 companies of the Bihar Military Police, and over 45,000 state police personnel were deployed.
All 45,399 polling stations were covered by 100% live webcasting, allowing real-time monitoring by the ECI Control Room. The India-Nepal border was sealed 48 hours before polling to prevent any illegal movement.
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Additionally, 459 checkpoints were set up across Bihar’s borders with Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Nepal, with strict vehicle and personnel checks.
Bihar Police, already on high alert, further intensified its surveillance in the wake of Monday’s Delhi blast, and maintained visible deployment throughout the polling day. Drones, mounted units, and boats were used in sensitive and riverine areas, while satellite phones were provided in hilly and remote polling zones. Senior police officials led by the DGP monitored the entire security arrangements from their state headquarters.