Polling underway amid tight security in third phase of Bihar Assembly election.
Polling in 78 assembly segments of Bihar in the third and final phase of state elections on Saturday in which 2.35 crore voters were eligible to decide the fate of 1,204 candidates has concluded. Casting of votes began at 7 am at all 33,782 polling stations where as many EVM sets and VVPAT machines were installed and paramilitary forces deployed to maintain order. Voting took place simultaneously for the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat in West Champaran district where a by-election was necessitated by the death of the sitting JD(U) MP Baidyanath Mahto. In addition, re-poll also held at two polling stations of Hisua assembly segment in Nalanda district where votes were cast in the second phase on November 3. It said the re-poll has been necessitated by the EVMS getting damaged in a road accident. Among the candidates in the fray, 37 belong to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), 35 to the BJP, while five are contesting on tickets of junior NDA ally Vikassheel Insaan Party and one from the Hindustani Awam Morcha. The candidates of the JD(U)-BJP include the assembly Speaker and 12 members of the state cabinet. The main opposition RJD is fighting 46 seats in the final phase, while its ally Congress is in the fray in 25. Ultra-Left outfit CPI(ML), which has joined the RJD-led Grand Alliance along with CPI and CPI(M), contested 5 seats in the final phase. Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party is in the fray on 42 seats.
READ MORE: Key candidates contesting in third phase
Bihar Election Phase 3 | Highlights
6:31 pm: 55 per cent voter turnout till 6 pm in Bihar Election phase 3.
6:04 pm: Polling ends in Bihar Election phase 3.Counting of votes on November 10.
6:01 pm: Till 5 pm, 54.6 per cent turnout recorded in Bihar Election Phase 3.
5:22 pm: ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) jawans carry elderly voters to a polling booth in Muzaffarpur. Voting for the third and final phase of Bihar Elections is underway in the state today, 78 Assembly constituencies are in fray across 16 districts.
3:57 pm: 45.85 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 3 pm.
3 pm: Polling booth decorated with Madhubani artwork
2:30 pm: Locals make a temporary bridge in Darbhanga to help voters reach a polling station.
2 PM: A polling station in Begusarai wears a deserted look as locals have decided to boycott elections alleging lack of development in the area; people stage demonstration against the government.
1:30 pm: Nearly 35% turnout till 1 pm
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12:15 pm: Latest Visuals From Madhepur
12:45 pm: Bihar assembly election 2020: Watch India TV's Super Exit Poll 6.30 pm onward today
Will Nitish Kumar return as the chief minister of Bihar for a record seventh time or will Tejashwi Yadav spring in a surprise to become the youngest CM? To get you an insight into the pulse of the voters in the eastern state, India TV will show a 'Super Exit Poll' 6.30 pm onward today, a collective analysis of all the exit polls in the Bihar election. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
11:30 am: Bihar records 19.77% voter turnout till 11:00 am in the third phase of State Assembly elections.
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11 am Bihar polls Live Update: Plurals Party chief Pushpam Priya Choudhary said that Bihar can move forward only if it gets rid of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav. "It is time for Bihar to move ahead. It can only happen if the state gets rid of Nitish ji and Lalu ji," Pushpam Priya said after casting her vote in Darbhanga on Saturday. Pushpam Priya is contesting from Bankipore seat in Patna district. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Bihar Assembly Election Live Updates: Plurals Party president Pushpam Priya Choudhary casts her vote. She is contesting from the Bankipore vidhan sabha seat.
10:35 am: Minister Suresh Sharma casts vote
Bihar minister Suresh Sharma casts vote at polling booth number 94 in Muzaffarpur.
10:20 am Bihar Assembly Election Live Updates: Poll official dies in Muzaffarpur
Kamal Singh, Muzaffarpur district Public Relations Officer, told ANI that health of a person on polling duty deteriorated earlier today & he died later. He was employee of irrigation dept. Body was sent for post-mortem. Ex gratia of Rs 15 lakhs will be given to deceased's family as per rule.
10 am: Bihar Assembly Election Live Updates
According to news agency ANI, 7.69% voter turnout recorded till 9 am in the third phase. (Sitamarhi - 7.38%, Madhubani 6.35%, Katihar 5.9%)
9:40 am: Polling in the first phase on October 28 covered 71 seats. The turnout was over 55 per cent. Polling in the second phase took place on Tuesday, covering 94 constituencies. The turnout was 54 per cent. The results will be declared on November 10.
9:30 am 'Vote for development', JP Nadda appeals to people as final-phase polling begins
BJP president J P Nadda appealed to people to vote in large numbers for development of Bihar. "Last phase of polling for Bihar assembly elections is taking place today. I appeal to people to vote in large numbers and vote for development of Bihar. People should ensure their participation in grand festival of democracy while keeping COVID related precautions in mind," Nadda tweeted.
9:20 am Bihar Polls 2020 Live: Make sure you vote for a golden future, tweets Tejashwi
RJD leader and opposition's CM face, Tejashwi Yadav tweeted: “In Bihar, Ganga, Gandak and Kosi of change are flowing. The waves are on the rise. Make sure you vote for a golden future, all-round development, progressive Bihar, peace today. Cast your vote and be a companion of change."
9 am Bihar Polls 2020 Live: Subhashini Raj Rao casts her vote
Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) chief Sharad Yadav's daughter Subhashini Raj Rao casts her vote at a polling booth in Madhepura. She is the Congress candidate from Bihariganj.
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8:40 am Bihar Polls 2020 Live: EVM not working in Sitamarhi
A queue outside a polling station in Sitamarhi's Riga as thhe electronic voting machine (EVM) at the booth stopped functioning.
8 am Bihar Polls 2020 Live: Amit Shah urges voters to set new voting records
BJP leader and Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday asked voters to cast their ballots in maximum number as the polling for the third and final phase of Bihar Assembly election gets underway.
Bihar Polls 2020 Live: Rajya Sabha MP Ahmad Ashfaque Karim casts his vote at a polling station in Katihar. He says, "I appeal to people of the State to exercise their right to vote so that deserving candidates are elected."
Bihar Polls 2020 Live: Latest visuals from Muzaffarpur
Bihar Polls 2020 Live: Key candidates
As many as 12 ministers are in the fray. According to ECI, about 2.34 crore voters, spread across 78 assembly seats in 19 districts in north Bihar will decide the fates of 1204 candidates. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
7:01 am Bihar Polls 2020 Live: PM Modi appeals people to vote in large numbers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed people to vote in large numbers in the third and last phase of the Assembly elections in Bihar.
7 am: Bihar Polls 2020 Live: Voting for 78 seats begins
6:50 am: LJP will perform well, says Chirag Paswan
LJP leader Chirag Paswan said that the way people are connecting with 'Bihar first, Bihari first', "I believe our performance will be good in this phase too. One thing is very clear Nitish Kumar Ji will never become the CM".
Bihar elections 2020 Live Updates: Sanitization being done at a Muzaffarpur polling booth
Bihar elections 2020 Live Updates: Latest visuals from Kishanganj
6:45 am Bihar elections 2020 Live Updates: Future of 12 Nitish ministers at stake in final phase
Apart from Assembly speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, the future of several RJD leaders including 12 members of Nitish cabinet will be finalised. The ministers are Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Narendra Narayan Yadav, Maheshwar Hazari, Ramesh Rishidev, Firoz Ahmed, Lakshmeshwar Roy, Bima Bharti Pramod Kumar, Suresh Sharma, Binod Narayan Jha, Madan Sahni and Krishnakumar Rishi are in the fray.
6:40 am: All eyes are now on the polling for third and final phase of Bihar assembly election today in which stakes are quite high for the ruling NDA which is trying to avert the anti-incumbency factor. , and the opposition Grand Alliance-led by an apparently resurgent RJD. Bihar Assembly Election 2020 is taking place in three phases. Voting in the
