Polling underway for first phase of Bihar elections with precautionary COVID-19 measures
Oct 28, 2020
Patna/Gaya (Bihar) [India], October 28 : Polling for the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections is underway with all precautionary measures for coronavirus.
Officials deployed on polling duties in Gaya were seen wearing masks and gloves. 
Sanitisers are also being made available at polling stations that will be used during the voting. Polling stations were also sanitised ahead of the voting.
Temperature of voters was measured at polling stations before they cast their vote. 
Officials also ensured that people maintain social distancing while in queue. Circles have been on the floor at polling stations to maintain social distancing to curb coronavirus. People were asked to stand as per the markings. 
Voting began on 71 constituencies spread across 16 districts in the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections on Wednesday at 7 am.
As many as 1,066 candidates are in the fray including 42 from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 35 from Janata Dal (United), 29 from BJP, 21 from Congress and 8 from Left parties.
Bihar is witnessing a triangular contest with the ruling JDU-BJP alliance and grand alliance (RJD, Congress and others) and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which is eying the role of a kingmaker in case of a hung Assembly.
On one side is the NDA which includes JD-U (contesting 115 seats), BJP (110 seats), Vikassheel Insaan Party (11 seats) and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (7 seats).
Mahagathbandhan which picked Tejashwi Yadav as chief ministerial candidate constitutes RJD (144 seats) and the Congress with 70 seats. Other alliance partners include the CPI-ML (19 seats), CPI (6 seats), and the CPIM (4 seats).
LJP is contesting 136 seats on its own and fielded candidates against all JD-U nominees and only a few against BJP.
Polling for the second phase to take place on November 3 and for the third phase on November 7. The counting of votes will be done on November 10.
