Patna, Nov 11 (NationPress) Voting is currently taking place smoothly in Bihar, spanning 122 Assembly constituencies across 20 districts during the second and final phase of the state elections, which commenced at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. As reported by the Election Commission, a total of 31.38 per cent of votes were cast by 11 a.m. Notably, Kishanganj has emerged with the highest voter turnout of 34.74 per cent in the first four hours, while Madhubani saw a turnout of 28.66 per cent.

According to the Election Commission of India, the voting percentages across various districts are as follows: 32.39 per cent in West Champaran, 31.16 per cent in East Champaran, 31.58 per cent in Sheohar, 29.81 per cent in Sitamarhi, 28.66 per cent in Madhubani, 31.69 per cent in Supaul, 31.88 per cent in Araria, 34.74 per cent in Kishanganj, 32.94 per cent in Purnia, 30.83 per cent in Katihar, and 29.08 per cent in Bhagalpur.

Furthermore, 32.91 per cent of voters participated in Banka, 31.98 per cent in Kaimur, 29.80 per cent in Rohtas, 31.07 per cent in Arwal, 30.36 per cent in Jehanabad, 32.88 per cent in Aurangabad, 34.07 per cent in Gaya, 29.02 per cent in Nawada, and 33.69 per cent in Jamui.

In this phase, over 3.7 crore voters will play a crucial role in deciding the political future of 1,302 candidates. During the initial phase, conducted earlier, the turnout was recorded at 27.65 per cent by 11 a.m. This phase is pivotal for several leading figures from both the NDA and the Grand Alliance.

A total of 45,399 polling stations have been established for the electorate, comprising 5,326 in urban areas and 40,073 in rural settings. In this electoral round, 122 candidates from the NDA and 127 from the Grand Alliance are contesting.

Voters began arriving at polling stations even before the voting process commenced, with long queues reported at numerous booths. Strict security measures have been implemented to ensure a peaceful voting environment, with approximately four lakh security personnel deployed across various districts.

The voting is taking place in East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Banka, Kaimur, Rohtas, Arwal, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Jehanabad, and Jamui.

This phase will also determine the political fate of several party leaders. Within the NDA, 53 candidates are running on BJP tickets, 44 from JD(U), 15 from LJP (Ram Vilas), 6 from Hindustani Awam Morcha, and 4 from Rashtriya Lok Morcha. The Grand Alliance features 71 candidates from RJD, 37 from Congress, 6 from CPI(ML), 4 from CPI, 8 from VIP, and 1 from CPI(M).

The first phase of voting concluded on November 6 across 121 of Bihar’s 243 Assembly constituencies.