Patna (Bihar): Polling began at 7 am on 94 assembly seats across 17 districts in the second phase of Bihar polls on Tuesday with precautionary measures against COVID-19 in place.
Over 2.86 crore voters are eligible to cast their vote in the second phase which is also the largest of three phases of assembly poll in the state.
There are 1,464 candidates in the fray including 46 from BJP, 43 from Janata Dal (United), 56 from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and 24 from Congress.
Five candidates from the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP), which is part of the NDA, are also in the fray. From Mahagathbandhan, three Left parties are contesting on 14 seats (CPI-ML six, CPI and CPM on four each).
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44.51 per cent voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in the second phase of #BiharElections2020. pic.twitter.com/iKlze3sXbY
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Voter turnout of 21.83 pc till 1 pm in 2nd phase of Assembly elections
बिहार चुनाव: दूसरे चरण के लिए मतदान जारी, दिग्गजों ने डाले वोट#BiharElection #BiharElections2020 pic.twitter.com/HAzo486rYp
— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) November 3, 2020
19.26% voter turnout till 11 am in the second phase of #BiharElections2020, as per office of state Chief Electoral Officer. pic.twitter.com/8lKlGpZ53J
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#Patna| फतुहां विधानसभा के सोनारू इलाका स्थित बूथ संख्या 214 A पर मतदान कर लौट रहे एक ही परिवार के तीन लोगों के साथ मार पीट कर किया घायल , खास दल के समर्थकों पर पिटाई का आरोप #BiharElections2020 @ECISVEEP @bihar_police pic.twitter.com/OkgTcI6OFO
— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) November 3, 2020
There’s a wave of change. I am confident the results will be in favour of Luv Sinha & development in Bihar: Shatrughan Sinha, Congress
Shatrughan Sinha’s son, Luv Sinha is the Congress candidate from Bankipur, Patna#BiharElections2020 pic.twitter.com/TtZKiGCa1A
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#BiharElections2020 – Bihar greeted PM @narendramodi with extreme warmth. It seemed people are blessing a win to BJP leader #NarendraModi pic.twitter.com/AWZnhlVqhH
— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) November 3, 2020
Bihar: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans deployed in Khagaria, Siwan and Saran districts help differently-abled voters at polling booths during the second phase of state assembly elections. #BiharElections2020 pic.twitter.com/0ThiGUqe1f
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#BiharElections2020: Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad cast his vote in Patna pic.twitter.com/XTDZzZBcBt
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#WATCH | “Chirag Paswan stays in Delhi, he isn’t aware of ground realities. He wears nice clothes & belongs to 5-star culture. He doesn’t know ground realities,” says JDU’s Parsa candidate Chandrika Rai on Paswan’s statement that ‘Nitish Kumar won’t become CM again’#BiharPolls https://t.co/vH0uPqzMoQ pic.twitter.com/wm6H7EjyW7
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: Chandrika Rai – father-in-law of RJD’s Tej Pratap Yadav & JDU candidate from Parsa – votes in Chhapra.
“Hollow promises are meaningless. If it was so easy to give 10 lakh govt jobs then everyone would make such promises, but it isn’t easy,” he says on RJD’s poll promise. pic.twitter.com/2olch3Y7X7
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#WATCH | “‘Mahagathbandhan’ is winning everywhere, we have the whole report… people of Bihar are giving us the report,” says RJD leader and former CM Rabri Devi.
Voting for the second phase is underway for 94 seats of the Bihar Assembly. #BiharElections2020 pic.twitter.com/J0Pb48Oz08
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#BiharElections2020: MoS Home and BJP leader Nityanand Rai cast his vote at a polling booth in Karanpura, Hajipur assembly constituency pic.twitter.com/amoUpzMmAG
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Polling percentage at 8.05% in the second phase of #BiharElections2020 till 9 am: Chief Electoral Officer(CEO), Bihar pic.twitter.com/3lyuRIUZ1b
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar casts his vote in the second phase of #BiharPolls, at a government school in Digha.
“Everyone should come to cast his/her vote,” says Nitish Kumar. pic.twitter.com/1IyxITQaFZ
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Patna: Voting for 2nd phase of #BiharElections underway at polling booth no. 49 at St Joseph School in Rajendra Nagar.
A local at the polling booth says,”We’ve been waiting for our turn to cast our vote, but Sushil ji just came,cast his vote & left.He’s a VVIP.”(Earlier visuals) https://t.co/cPOgtR2PjY pic.twitter.com/JK6ZF3iZcU
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
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: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Patna https://t.co/EjVIzTcJo4 pic.twitter.com/S4OAIEdMXl
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#WATCH Bihar: Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had cast his vote today at polling booth no. 49 at St Joseph High School in Rajendra Nagar, Patna, in the second phase of #BiharElections. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/5ayvIolBUj
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
#BiharElection2020 RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav who is contesting from the Hasanpur seat in the Bihar assembly elections, says, “The public wants a change in Bihar. I appeal to people to cast their vote.” pic.twitter.com/Y1funZAJMZ
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: A girl arrived at a polling booth in Patna with her grandmother on cycle to cast vote in the 2nd phase of #BiharElections
“I’ve come here with my grandmother. I’ll be voting for the first time. I hope we’ll have more employment opportunities for youth now,” says the girl pic.twitter.com/qSwUmXO593
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: Social distancing norms being followed as voters stand in queues at polling booth no. 325 & 326 in Patna to cast their votes for the second phase of #BiharElections. pic.twitter.com/QXzgDOM0cs
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: LJP President Chirag Paswan casts his vote at a polling booth in Khagaria in the 2nd phase of #BiharElections. pic.twitter.com/uI75JflfV2
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
I appeal to the people to step out of their homes, cast their vote, maintain social distancing and keep wearing mask: Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi after casting his vote at polling booth no.49 at St Joseph High School in Rajendra Nagar, Patna #BiharElections pic.twitter.com/iTon66FQsO
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: Governor Phagu Chauhan cast his vote for 2nd phase of #BiharElections, at the polling booth at government school in Digha, Patna. He says, “I appeal to the people to participate in election in large numbers. I hope that voting percentage will be more than previous time.” pic.twitter.com/6HsmpS4aUj
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Voting begins for the second phase of Bihar Assembly polls. 1463 candidates, including RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, in fray for 94 seats across 17 districts.#BiharElections pic.twitter.com/qomEOAwgOH
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: Voters maintain social distancing as they stand in queues to cast their votes for the second phase of #BiharElections. Visuals from booth number 24 of Raghopur Assembly constituency. pic.twitter.com/vZxp894ak7
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Patna: Voting for the second phase of #BiharElections to be held today on 94 seats across 17 districts. Visuals from St Joseph High School in Rajendra Nagar that has been designated as polling booth number 49.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi will cast his vote here. pic.twitter.com/yrARchLm5s
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Patna: Sanitisation work being done at a government school in Digha that has been designated as a polling booth for the second phase of #BiharPolls. Governor Phagu Chauhan and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will cast their votes here. pic.twitter.com/P1lmK1fbDN
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
Bihar: All preparations made at the polling booths in the state as voting for the second phase of #BiharElections to be held today. Visuals from a polling booth number 138 in Samastipur.
Voting to be held for 94 seats across 17 districts of the state. pic.twitter.com/rwSIy8tHtb
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
The key candidates include former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad’s sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap.
Tejashwi, the chief ministerial candidate of Mahagathbandhan is contesting from Raghopur, while Tej Pratap, who is sitting MLA from Mahua, is contesting from Hasanpur.
Road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav is seeking re-election from Patna Sahib.
Polling was held for 71 constituencies in the first phase on October 28 with precautionary measures in place against the novel coronavirus.
Apart from NDA, Mahagathbandhan and a third front comprising RLSP, BSP, AIMIM and some other parties are contesting the election. There are also new entrants and smaller parties in the fray.
The Election Commission has already mandated face masks, hand sanitisers, thermal scanners, gloves, face shields, and PPE kits during the electoral process while ensuring social distancing norms.
It also laid down guidelines for each polling station, including sanitization a day before the poll, markers for social distancing, putting up of COVID-19 awareness posters, and availability of hand gloves.