The first phase of Bihar Assembly polls for 49 seats on Monday saw a 57 per cent voter turnout, six per cent more than the 2010 State polls and two per cent more than what the region comprising eight parliamentary constituencies witnessed during the lok Sabha elections last year.
Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Nayak said, “In the 2010 elections, the voting percentage was 50.85 per cent (all phases taken together).”
Of the 49 constituencies, the Mahagathbandhan held 34 seats and the BJP 13. And of the eight lok Sabha seats in the region, the BJP and lJP hold three each while the RJD had won two seats in the Parliamentary elections last year.
Interestingly, the peaceful polling saw women voters outnumbering the men. As against 54.50 per cent male voters 59.50 per cent women exercised their franchise. A 108-year-old woman Maharani Devi, helped by her family members, too cast her ballot at a booth in Teghra constituency in Begusarai. Nayak said the low percentage of male voters could be due to their migration to other places and States in the country for work.
Khagaria, which has seven Assembly constituencies, witnessed the highest voter turnout of 61 per cent and Nawada, having five seats, the lowest of 53 per cent. Jamui, a Naxal-hit constituency recorded 57 per cent voting.
Even though the polling percentage increased as compared to the 2010 Assembly polls, the rise wasn't as expected. Even the election officials admitted it saying, "In view of the awareness campaigns it should have been higher." What was more worrisome was the fact that the number of youths at polling stations was less, showing their lack of interest in exercising their franchise.
Nayak said a total of 110 people were taken into custody. In the Naxal-hit areas, five helicopters and drones were pressed into service for air surveillance and each polling station was manned by paramilitary forces.
"At least, 280 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reportedly found to be non-functional and were immediately changed," said Additional Chief Electoral Officer R lakshmanan.
He said 209 model polling stations had been opened and live webcasting was done at 576 booths.
Prominent among those whose fate has been sealed in the EVMs include two Ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Damodar Raut of JD(U), former Assembly Speaker Sadanand Singh of the Congress, State presidents of lJP and HAM Pashupati Kumar Paras and Shakuni Chaudhary and former Minister Renu Kushwaha of the BJP.