Bihar records 5 pc voter turnout till 8 am

October 28, 2020 10:25

Voters wait their turn at Paliganj in Bihar

Voting for the phase-1 of Bihar Assembly elections began at 7 am on Wednesday and the voter turnout has been recorded at 5 per cent till 8 am. Bihar is witnessing a triangular contest with the ruling JDU-BJP alliance and grand alliance (RJD, Congress and others) and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which is eying the role of a kingmaker in case of a hung Assembly.

Elections will decide if Nitish Kumar will win a fourth term as Chief Minister.Voting began in 71 constituencies spread across 16 districts in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on Wednesday at 7 am.

This is the first election that is being held amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The Election Commission has extended the period of voting by one hour until 6 pm, except in the Naxal affected areas, so that COVID-19 patients can vote in the last hour of the day. Results of the 3-phase Bihar election will be announced on November 10.

The Election Commission has issued detailed guidelines that include lowering the cap on voters for a polling booth from 1,600 to 1,000, staggering of polling hours and postal ballot facility for those aged above 80 or those infected.

All precautionary measures have been taken considering the COVID-19 pandemic as Electronic Voting Machines have been sanitised.

Thermal scanners, hand sanitiser, soap and water have been made available for voters. Officials deployed on polling duties in Gaya were seen wearing masks and gloves. Temperature of voters was measured at polling stations before they cast their vote.

Meanwhile, voting at polling booth no. 170 in Jehanabad got delayed after a glitch was detected in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).On the other hand, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were seen helping differently-abled and elderly voters at Booth number 10 in the Chakarbandha area.

Sanitization work was also carried out at various booths including booth number 56 and 57 in Munger and in Gaya in view of COVID-19. People queue up at the polling booth while maintaining social distancing at the polling stations. -- PTI

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