November 23, 2024 17:45 (IST)
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Bihar polls: Third phase voting witnesses over 53 pct turnout
Patna, Oct 28 (IBNS): The third phase of polling in Bihar on Wednesday witnessed about 53.32 percent turnout as voters cast their ballot in 50 Assembly constituencies spread over six districts.
Polling ended at 5 pm in all but 10 Maoist-hit constituencies. In these Maoist-hit areas, the elections ended an hour earlier due to security reasons.
The crucial third phase tested Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav on home ground.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people of the state to cast their votes in large numbers.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also urged the voters to turn up in large numbers.
23 of the 50 seats where polling was held were won by Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) last time. The BJP, then a partner of the JD(U), had won 19. Lalu Yadav's RJD had won eight.
The BJP, now taking on the JD(U), has contested in 34 seats.
Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD leads the anti-BJP grand alliance in this phase is contesting 25 of the 50 seats. Lalu Prasad's two sons, Tej Pratap and Tejaswi Yadav also contested elections for the first time respectively from Mahua and Raghopur.
Polling was held for seven seats in Nalanda, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's home turf. His party had won six of those seats last time - then partner BJP had won the seventh. In last year's national election, Nalanda was one of the two seats that the JD(U) could win in Bihar.
The Bihar elections are crucial for the BJP which needs numbers in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in a minority and unable to push key reforms.
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