Bihar Election 2020: The provisional polling percentage was 54.26 that was updated till 10 PM.
Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan today claimed the BJP-LJP will form a new government in Bihar and that Nitish Kumar won't be able to retain his position after November 10.
"This time people voted for change & development. The feedback I am getting from my party candidates and workers clearly indicates that CM Nitish Kumar won't be able to retain his position after November 10. BJP-LJP will form a new government in Bihar," news agency ANI quoted Chirag Paswan as saying.
The first phase of polling for the Bihar assembly elections passed off peacefully on Wednesday as an estimated 54.26 per cent of nearly 2.15 crore eligible voters exercised their franchise, marginally lower than in 2015, as the coronavirus scare failed to impact the turnout.
The polls were held in 71 constituencies spread across 16 districts amid tight security and strict COVID-19 regulations in place.
According to the Election Commission's Voter Turnout App, the provisional polling percentage was 54.26 that was updated till 10 PM.
The Chief Electoral Officer's office said in Patna that the voter turnout in the 2015 election in these 16 districts was 54.75 per cent.
This was the first major poll held in the country amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic and the poll time increased by an hour till 6 pm to allow suspected or confirmed coronavirus patients to vote in the last hour.
Here are the Updates on Bihar Assembly Election 2020:
Tejashwi Yadav Responds After PM's "Jungle Raj Ka Yuvraj" JibeLabeled "Jungle Raj ka Yuvraj" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition's chief ministerial candidate in Bihar, accused him today of skipping "real issues" like corruption, jobs and the migrant crisis.
"He is the country's Prime Minister, he can say anything, I don't want to react to that. But he came to Bihar, he could have spoken about a special package, unemployment, more important issues," Tejashwi Yadav told reporters.
"It is the world's biggest party (BJP), they are using 30 helicopters...if their PM talks like this, the public knows everything. But he should have spoken on issues like poverty, factories, farmers, unemployment..." the 31-year-old RJD leader said.
PM Modi Will Make Bihar "Developed State" If NDA Wins, Says Nitish KumarBringing the 'Narendra Modi factor' to the fore of the poll campaign, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today devoted his speech at a BJP rally in Patna to development works undertaken by the Prime Minister for Bihar and said Narendra Modi will make it a "developed" state if the ruling NDA is voted back to power.
Praising PM Modi, Mr Kumar referred to a slew of projects to assert that the people of Bihar can never forget what he has done for the state.
"Listening to his (Narendra Modi's) appeal, if you give the NDA one more chance to work in the state, then you take it for sure that he will transform it into a developed state. Bihar will march ahead," he said.
Bihar Election Amid Pandemic "Leap Of Faith": Poll Body Chief Sunil AroraChief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora on Wednesday said the Election Commission was "discouraged" from holding the Bihar Assembly polls amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the poll panel was of the view that carrying out the electoral exercise was a "leap of faith and not a leap in the dark".
In a break from the past, the CEC attended the poll panel briefing in New Delhi to announce the voter turnout in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections held on Wednesday. Usually, the briefing is held by the deputy election commissioners concerned.
The chief election commissioner and fellow election commissioners announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls
BJP Accuses Rahul Gandhi Of Violating Model Code Of Conduct, Files ComplaintThe BJP in Bihar on Wednesday lodged a complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with the Election Commission, accusing him of violating the model code of conduct by "asking for votes" in a tweet on a polling day.
State BJP legal cell head SD Sanjay shot off the written complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar requesting "legal action" against Mr Gandhi, who addressed a couple of rallies in the state earlier in the day.
As per the complaint, Mr Gandhi had "issued a statement on Twitter asking for votes today. The time for making appeal for the first phase of polls was over 28 hours earlier".
"BJP-LJP Will Form Government In Bihar," Says Chirag Paswan
"This time people voted for change & development. The feedback I am getting from my party candidates and workers clearly indicates that CM Nitish Kumar won't be able to retain his position after November 10. BJP-LJP will form a new government in Bihar," news agency ANI quoted Chirag Paswan as saying.
Tejashwi Yadav thanks voters for turning out to vote in large numbers in first phase of Bihar Assembly polls
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday evening thanked voters for turning out to vote in large numbers during the first phase of the elections, thereby supporting him in his endeavour to create a ''new Bihar''.
"Thank you Bihar. Hundred bows to you for giving unlimited love and support for creating a new Bihar in the first phase. In the new Bihar, the dreams of the youth will be fulfilled," Mr Yadav's tweet, roughly translated in English from Hindi, read.
The final voting percentage in phase one of Bihar Assembly elections has been recorded as 53.54 per cent, according to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) HR Srinivas on Wednesday.
Rahul Gandhi attacks ruling alliance in Bihar on issue of employment, crop price to farmers
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the ruling NDA government in Bihar on the issue of employment, saying that the youth of the state are made empty promises and they are forced to find jobs outside the state.
Gandhi, who addressed two rallies in the state, said a Mahagathbandhan government will be "of all sections" and time has come to take the state forward.
"Our government will be of everyone, of every caste, religion, every section, every district. Bihar will tell the meaning of development to the entire country. Time has come for Bihar to move forward," he said.
He alleged that youth of the state cannot get employment and farmers proper price for their crops.
"The youth of the state are only shown dreams of future, of employment. But they have employment outside the state but not here. The youth, workers and small shopkeepers of the state are the backbone of the country and if it is broken, the county will suffer," he said.
He also accused NDA leaders of not addressing real issues in the elections.
''Polls conducted peacefully'': DIG Munger Manu Maharaj after voting concludes
The polling process in Munger district was conducted peacefully with all COVID-19 guidelines in place, said Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Manu Maharaj on Wednesday.
"Polling was conducted peacefully today, no unfortunate incidents were reported today. The administration carried out its duties responsibly. All COVID-19 guidelines were followed," Maharaj told ANI.
He further said that the alleged lower voter turnout in some areas of the district could be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He, however, added that the polling process could be considered to have come to an end only when the officers on polling duty returned the machines safely to the strong rooms.