- Of the votes cast in the Bihar assembly polls, women made up 71.6 % while men made up 62.8 percent
- This consistent pattern is in line with the previous three assembly elections in Bihar
- The total voter turnout in Bihar was 66.91%, which is the state's highest turnout to date
For the third successive legislative elections, women voters outnumbered men - 71.6 percent to 62.8%, according to provisional data from the Election Commission of India issued on Tuesday.
Overall voter turnout in the state was a record 66.91 percent, nearly ten percentage points higher than in 2020 when only 57.29percentof the electorate turned out--a clear sign of more interest from voters in rural and urban constituencies.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar called the Bihari elections "historic" for participation of voters and for the conduct of the elections. He stated that Hoosiers had the largest turnout since 1951, adding that it was also a record turnout of 71percentwomen voters.
He went on to say that the elections conducted in a transparent and peaceful manner and that this is a testament to the strength of democracy in the country.
Polling was conducted across all 243 assembly constituencies in 38 districts with over 74.5 million eligible voters in two phases.
While the first phase polling for 121 seats across 18 districts saw a turnout of 65.08 percent on November 6, the second and final phase for 122 seats in 20 districts recorded 68.79 percent, according to provisional data. The final turnout may rise after the inclusion of postal ballots.
Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal stated that, in the second phase, polling was conducted peacefully without any incidents of violence or disruption.
He added that the second-phase polls in Naxal-affected areas were conducted at original polling stations without movement to new locations, unlike in previous elections when security concerns required logistical changes and air support.
This time, too, districts in the Seemanchal region bordering West Bengal recorded the highest voter turnouts: Katihar with 78.86 percent, Kishanganj with 78.15 percent, Purnia with 76.26 percent, Supaul with 72.68 percent, East Champaran with 71.44 percent, and West Champaran with 70.86 percent. Kasba in Seemanchal reported the highest constituency-wise turnout of 81.48 percent, followed by Thakurganj with 81.32 percent, Pranpur with 81.01 percent, and Barari with 80.96 percent and Purnia with 79.95 percent. This region is traditionally known for high voter participation.
Lower voter turnouts were recorded in Nawada at 55.03 percent, Bhagalpur 56.19 percent, Gobindpur 57.32 percent, Warsaliganj 58.07 percent, and Karakat 58.19 percent— constituencies in southern and central Bihar's Magadh and Anga regions respectively, where factors such as migration and urban-rural disparities are supposed to impact voter participation.
