Bihar sees 64.4 voter turnout in first phase

SPORADIC INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE REPORTED AMID POLLING

- Gulf News Report

Bihar recorded an estimated voter turnout of 64.4 per cent (provisional) in the first phase of its Assembly elections yesterday even as the official time for polling came to a close at 5pm.

Voters who joined the queue before the deadline were allowed to cast their ballots.

A large number of women turned out early to vote, continuing Bihar’s recent trend of higher female participation than men. Among the districts, Begusarai (67.32 per cent), Samastipur (66.65 per cent), Madhepura (65.74 per cent), and Muzaffarpur (65.23 per cent) registered the highest turnout.

The lowest was in Sheikhpura (52.36 per cent) and Bhojpur (53.24 per cent), while Patna recorded 55.02 per cent. Final figures are expected to rise once tallies are completed.