Bihar Election October 28 Highlights: 52.24% turnout till 5 PM in 1st phase of assembly polls

Bihar records 51.91% turnout till 5 PM in 1st phase of assembly polls

Over 51 percent voter turnout has been recorded till 5 PM in the first phase of Bihar assembly polls on Wednesday, the Election Commission said in its provisional data. Voting ended at 6 PM.

Modi will make Bihar 'developed' state if people vote NDA to power: Nitish

Bringing the 'Modi factor' to the fore of the poll campaign, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday devoted his speech at a BJP rally here to development works undertaken by the prime minister for Bihar and said Narendra Modi will make it a "developed" state if the ruling NDA is voted back to power. Lavishing praise on Modi, Kumar referred to a slew of projects to assert that the people of Bihar can never forget what he has done for the state.

Munger firing incident: Congress draws parallel with Jallianwala Bagh, compares Nitish with Gen. Dyer

Hitting out at the Bihar government over the Munger firing incident in which a devotee was killed, the Congress compared Chief minister Nitish Kumar with General Dyer on Wednesday and demanded that he should apologise. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said human beings were treated as animals and worms by the police in Munger, when they beat up devotees taking out Durga idols "cruelly and mercilessly". One person was killed and over two dozen people, including security personnel, were injured in firing and stone-pelting during the immersion of Durga idols in Bihar's Munger, police said on Tuesday, a day before the first phase of the Assembly polls in the state, including in the district. "I want to ask, is it a crime in this country to do Durga Pooja with all requisite safeguards and if it is some violation, is this the way to treat human beings like chattels, like animals, I would say like worms? "Is there no respect for human dignity for this absolutely barbaric, cruel, unthinking, insensitive, Sarkar?" Singhvi asked at a virtual press conference.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Voter turnout recorded at 46.27%

The voter turnout has been recorded at 46.29 percent till 3 pm today.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: BJP files complaint against Rahul Gandhi

Bharatiya Janata Party files complaint to Election Commission against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his tweet posted today asking for votes in the first phase of Bihar Elections from voters today.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Modi calls Tejashwi the "yuvraj" of "jungle raj"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a stinging attack on the opposition RJD in Bihar and its chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, asking voters to beware of the "yuvraaj" (crown prince) of "jungle raj", and alleged the party had the "copyright over kidnappings". Addressing his second rally of the day in the poll-bound state, Modi cautioned the people that a return of the "jungle raj" will bring a double whammy for the state in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic' He asked the voters to view the assembly elections as "an opportunity to re-elect those who pulled Bihar out of darkness". "Can anything be expected from the yuvraaj of jungle raj? He ought to be evaluated on the basis of a track record about which the people know much better than I do," said Modi, without mentioning by name the RJD or Yadav, the younger son and heir apparent of party president Lalu Prasad.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Only NDA can fulfill aspirations of the poor and middle class, says PM Modi

"Who can fulfill the aspirations of the poor and middle class of Bihar? Can those who looted Bihar do it? Those who only thought of their families and did injustice to everyone can never understand Bihar's expectations. Only NDA can do it," PM Modi said, while speaking at Patna.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: You won't get jobs as your CM and PM are weak, says Rahul Gandhi in Champaran

"You will not get jobs in Bihar because there are none...and it is not because the farmers and the youngsters of Bihar are not capable...it is because your CM is weak...it is because our PM is weak...he promises jobs but he instead takes them away," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing voters in Champaran.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran movement, Rahul Gandhi says the fight will begin from Bihar

Rahul Gandhi attacked the government over migration saying Bihar has been destroyed. "Understand the power of Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi before starting freeedom movement, didn't go to any other states, he went to Champaran. Gandhiji knew that the fight will begin from Bihar," Rahul Gandhi said.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: We can't compete with PM Modi at lying, says Rahul Gandhi in Balmiki Nagar

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targets PM Modi for avoiding problems like unemployment

PM Modi talks of other countries but not about problems like unemployment in our country, says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Bihar poll rally.

"Now Prime Minister doesn't say in speeches that he'll give jobs to 2 crore youth. He knows he was lying & people also know it. I guarantee, if PM comes here & says he'll give 2 crore jobs, crowd will chase him away," Gandhi said.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Demonetisation and COVID lockdown destroyed small farmers, businesses, traders, labourers, says Rahul Gandhi

The motive of demonetisation & lockdown was the same. It was aimed at destroying small farmers, small businesses, traders and labourers, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Balmiki Nagar.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Voter turnout of 33.10% recorded till 1 pm in the first phase

Over 18.30 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 11 AM in the first phase of Bihar assembly polls on Wednesday, the Election Commission said in its provisional data. A total of 71 assembly segments of the state's 243 constituencies are voting in the first phase in which nearly 2.15 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of over 1,000 candidates. As per the provisional voter turnout data updated by the Election Commission at 11 AM, 18.31 percent of the total electorate have exercised their franchise. The 71 constituencies are spread across 16 districts. The maximum 26.76 percent turnout has been recorded in Lakhisarai, followed by Nawada (23.42 percent) and Banka (22.58 percent). Among other districts, Buxar has recorded 19.10 percent turnout, Gaya 19.02 percent, Aurangabad 18.46 per cent, Sheikhpura 17.31 per cent, Kaimur (Bhabua) 16.98 percent and Bhojpur 16.21 per cent. Munger recorded a turnout of 15.71 percent, Rohtas 15.32 percent, Arwal 14.81 percent, Jamui 13.91 percent, Jehanabad 11.39 percent, Bhagalpur 6.84 percent and Patna 5.96 percent.  Union minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh cast his vote at a polling booth in Lakhisarai, while former Bihar chief minister and HAM president Jitan Ram Manjhi exercised his franchise at a booth in Gaya.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Tejashwi seeks HC-monitored probe into Munger firing

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday demanded a High Court-monitored probe into the Munger incident in which one person was killed and over two dozen others, including security personnel, were injured in firing and stone-pelting during goddess Durga idol immersion.    Accompanied by Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala and other leaders of the Grand Alliance, Yadav made a scathing attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, asking who gave permission to the Munger police to act like "General Dyer". General Reginald Dyer is known for ordering troops of the British Indian Army to fire their rifles into a crowd of unarmed civilians in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab, killing at least 379 people on April 13, 1919.    The Munger incident happened late Monday night at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Chowk under the  Kotwali police station limits of the city.

Bihar Election 2020 LIVE Updates: Lakisarai, Suryagrha voting percentage at over 38% and 32% respectively

The voter turnout recorded at Lakhisarai was 38.2% and Suryagrha was 32% at 11 am in the first phase of Bihar Assembly Polls.