Voter turnout of 18.48% percent recorded till 11 am in the first phase of Bihar polls. Over 2.14 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,066 candidates contesting for 71 seats. The poll is taking place amid strict COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday.

As per Election Commission data around 2.14 crore voters will be exercising their voting rights which include 1.01 crore women and 599 of the third gender. 

For the 71 assembly constituencies, the RJD has fielded 42 candidates, while fate of JDU's 35, BJP's 29, Congress' 21s, eight CPI-ML, six HAM and one VIP candidate will be sealed today. Among other parties, there are 43 candidates of RLSP, 42 of LJP and 27 of BSP. 

The voters of 71 assembly constituencies will turn out in their respective polling booths between 7 AM and 6 PM. The campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly ended on Monday. The Bihar assembly election 2020 will have three phases of voting where the country will witness the first phase on Wednesday (October 28)

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is eyeing for a fourth term. In 2015, Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) fought polls with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress as part of Mahagathbandhan. The BJP-led NDA had fought elections with LJP and other allies. JD-U later returned to NDA and formed the government.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the EC has issued strict guidelines for the safe conduct of the electoral exercise. These include lowering the cap on the maximum number of voters for a polling booth to 1,000, staggered timings of polling hours and postal ballot facility for those aged above 80, or those afflicted with or suspected to be infected