Patna, Nov 11 — Around 14.55% voter turnout was recorded till 9 am in the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on Tuesday, the Election Commission said.
Polling began at 7 am across 122 constituencies spread over 20 districts and will continue till 5 pm. Over 3.7 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 1,302 candidates, including 136 women and one third-gender candidate.
This phase is seen as crucial for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with 12 ministers from his cabinet contesting. Key Janata Dal (United) candidates include Vijendra Yadav from Supaul, Lesi Singh from Dhamdaha, Jayant Kushwaha from Amarpur, Sumit Singh from Chakai, Mohammad Jama Khan from Chainpur, and Sheela Mandal from Phoolparas.
From the Bharatiya Janata Party, ministers in the fray include Prem Kumar (Gaya), Renu Devi (Bettiah), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikati), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Neeraj Bablu (Chhatapur), and Krishnanandan Paswan (Harsiddhi).
Voting is being held amid tight security arrangements, with the Election Commission urging voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers.
