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A provisional voter turnout of 58.58% was recorded in the five constituencies of Bihar that went to vote in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on Friday.
The five seats are Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Bhagalpur, and Banka. Don turned politician and five times parliamentarian Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav is in the fray in Purnea as an independent candidate against Bima Bharti of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Santosh Kushwaha of Janata Dal (United). There is a triangular fight in Purnea.
There is another triangular contest in Kishanganj where three strong candidates are in fray. Sitting Congress MP Mohammad Javed is up against Aktarul Iman of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and lone Muslim candidate of JD(U) Mujahid Alam.
In Bhagalpur, Ajit Sharma of Congress party is locked in a direct contest with the JD(U)’s Ajay Mandal, sitting MP from two terms while Tariq Anwar of Congress is contesting against JD(U) candidate Dulalchand Goswami in Katihar. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had campaigned in support of Mr. Sharma.
Similarly, in Banka the contest is between two Yadav leaders, sitting MP Girdhari Yadav of JD(U) is up against RJD’s Jaiprakash Yadav, a close associate of RJD Chief Lalu Prasad.
Kishanganj recorded voter turnout of 64%, Katihar 64.60%, Purnea 59.94%, Bhagalpur 51%, and Banka 54 %. In comparison to the first phase polling, the voter turnout increased over 10%. However, in the 2019 Lok Sabha election the total voter turnout was 62.92%.
Chief Electoral Officer H.R. Srinivasa said, “There are many reasons why low voters turn out and this is an ongoing process. This time we also provided a transport facility to those who were unable to come to the polling booths from home to the polling stations and go back. We mobilized Aganwadi Sevika and Vikas Mitra to encourage people to vote by making door to door visits.”
Voters boycotted polling at several booths in protest against lack of civic amenities. Preventive arrests of 126 people were carried out to maintain the peaceful polling.
Asked about re-polling on all such booths that were voter boycotted, Mr. Srinivasa said, “Decision would be taken once we receive the ground report. The Election Commission has made it clear that the officials will examine the area and then further action would be taken, it’s not necessary that re-polling will take place.”
Sharing the information about the preventive arrest, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said, “Preventing arrest of 126 people were carried out during the second phase of polling. Kishanganj 20, Katihar 31, Purnea 29, Bhagalpur 46.”
RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav made a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by writing a post on X, saying, “After two phase of elections, the Prime Minister has stopped raising the slogan of ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar’. Are you watching this Vinod?”
