Overview
- Voting opened at 7 am across 122 constituencies in roughly 20 districts, with about 3.7 crore electors and 1.75 crore women eligible at 45,399 polling stations until 5 pm.
- Election officials said webcasting is in place at all polling booths, with provisions for those already in queue to vote after closing time.
- Around 4 lakh security personnel and large CAPF contingents are deployed under a high alert following the Delhi blast, with vulnerable sites identified and several border points sealed.
- The field includes 1,302 candidates with about a dozen sitting ministers and other heavyweights, and Seemanchal remains a focal battleground given its demographic and party mix.
- Phase 1 delivered Bihar’s highest-ever turnout at roughly 65%, with women outnumbering men in many districts, as rival blocs exchanged allegations and confident claims ahead of today’s vote.