New Delhi, Nov 6: The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections witnessed a voter turnout of 60.13 per cent till 5 p.m. on Thursday across 121 constituencies, according to data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Among the 18 districts that went to polls, Begusarai registered the highest turnout at 67.32 per cent, followed by Samastipur with 66.65 per cent and Madhepura with 65.74 per cent. Begusarai’s Bachhwara constituency (AC 142) recorded the highest individual turnout of 69.67 per cent till 5 p.m.
By 3 p.m., overall voting stood at 53.77 per cent, with Patna district reporting the lowest participation at 48.69 per cent. Earlier, the average turnout by 1 p.m. was 42.31 per cent, and 27.65 per cent by 11 a.m., reflecting steady voter engagement throughout the day.
Polling remained largely peaceful, with no major incidents reported. Districts such as Lakhisarai, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, and Begusarai witnessed brisk voting in the morning hours, indicating an enthusiastic response from the electorate.
A total of 1,314 candidates — including 1,192 men and 122 women — are contesting in this phase. The ECI stated that 3.75 crore voters, comprising 1.98 crore men, 1.76 crore women, and 758 third-gender voters, were eligible to cast their votes across 45,341 polling stations. Of these, 36,733 are in rural areas and 8,608 in urban centres.
The Commission set up 320 model polling booths, 926 women-managed stations, and 107 managed by persons with disabilities. Webcasting facilities were installed in all polling stations for real-time monitoring.
Over 15 battalions of police and paramilitary forces were deployed to ensure smooth polling, particularly in sensitive and Naxal-affected areas, where voting concluded an hour earlier at 5 p.m.
