Voting
– Photo: Symbolic
Expansion
Voting in the first phase took place on the same four Lok Sabha seats of Bihar where voting was held in 2019. This time the vote percentage fell flat. Even half the voters did not vote. In the last elections, on an average 53.47 percent votes were cast on these four seats of Bihar, this time this percentage has reached only 48.23 percent as per the final estimates of the Election Commission. According to Chief Electoral Officer HR Srinivas, the highest turnout was recorded in Gaya at 52 percent, Jamui and Aurangabad at 50-50 percent. The lowest turnout was in Nawada at 41 percent. In the 2019 elections, a total of 53.47 percent voting took place on these four Lok Sabha seats. There was 49.33 percent voting in Nawada, 56.16 percent in Gaya, 55 percent in Jamui and 53.63 percent in Aurangabad. Boycotted voting at six booths in this election.
152 VVPATs changed during mock poll
According to the Election Commission, a total of 9,549 control units, 9,531 ballot units and 10,218 VVPATs including reserves have been used in the first phase of elections, out of which 34 control units, 31 ballot units and 152 VVPATs have been changed during the mock poll. 22 control units, 22 ballot units and 185 VVPATs have been replaced after the mock poll. In the first phase of elections, with the aim of strengthening the monitoring system in Naxal affected areas and instilling confidence among the voters, these areas were monitored by a helicopter. Apart from this, an air ambulance was also arranged to deal with any emergency.
Voting boycott at seven polling stations
According to the Election Commission, a total of 38 candidates contested the four Lok Sabha seats in the first phase. In this, the number of male candidates is 35 and the number of female candidates is 03. The total number of general voters in the first phase is 76,01,629, of which the number of males is 39.63,223, the number of females is 36,38,151 and the number of third gender is 255. The total number of service electors in the first phase is 16,415. In this the number of males is 15,576 and the number of females is 839. In the first phase of Bihar state, information about voting boycott on various development issues has been received at a total of seven polling stations. Rs 71,91,160 in cash was seized during the checking operation by the Flying Squad and police personnel operating in 4 parliamentary constituencies of the first phase. A total of 1,12,126 liters of liquor has been seized. Its price is approximately Rs 1,96,70,170.
