Bihar Election 2020 voting LIVE Updates: Polling underway for Phase 1, Voter turnout of 46% recorded till 3 pm

Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi casts his vote at a polling booth in Gaya during the first phase of state assembly elections. "Out of 71 seats in phase-1, NDA will comfortably win around 50 seats," he said.

Voter turnout of 33.10% recorded till 1 pm in the first phase of Bihar Polls. Over 2.14 crore voters are today deciding the fate of 1,066 candidates contesting for 71 seats.

In 31,371 polling stations in Bihar during the first phase of Assembly elections, 41,689 ballot units, 31,371 control units & 31,371 VVPATs have been deployed. As of 10 am, 0.18% ballot units, 0.26% control units, & 0.53% VVPATs have been replaced: Election Commission of India

Several women created a ruckus at a booth at Swarajpuri Road in Gaya Urban Assembly constituency. They alleged that some people were pressurising them to vote for the BJP. After this, the women got into an argument with the polling workers present there. BJP leader and State Agriculture Minister Dr Prem Kumar is the candidate from Gaya Urban Assembly constituency. Akhuri Onkar Nath from Congress is in the fray here.

Voter turnout of 18.48% per cent recorded till 11am in the first phase of Bihar Polls. Over 2.14 crore voters are today deciding the fate of 1,066 candidates contesting for 71 seats.

Voters of Balgudar village in Lakhisarai district boycott elections, booth number 115 wears a deserted look.

"Villagers are not voting as they're protesting against the construction of a museum on a playground," says Booth No. 115 Presiding Officer Mohammad Ikramul Haq

BJP wants to keep 'Chirag' in their hand to light up their home & burn down Nitish Ji's house. Woh 'Chirag' ko bhi bujhana chahte hain. So BJP wants to use Chirag first, then get rid of him later: Congress' Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil on Chirag Paswan

Bihar Minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar arrives at a polling booth in Gaya to cast his vote wearing a mask with his party's symbol.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to voters in Bihar to take COVID-19 precautionary measures. He appealed the voters to case their votes using facial mask and social distancing

Union Minister Giriraj Singh voted at a polling station in Lakhisarai in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections

Sanitization underway at polling booth number 56 and 57 in Munger; people queue up at the polling booth while maintaining social distancing.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh visited a temple in Lakhisarai. He says," Election is the biggest festival of democracy. I appeal to everyone to exercise their right to vote."

Two Improvised explosive devices recovered and defused by Central Reserve Police Force from Aurangabad's Dhibra area, earlier today.

People deployed on polling duties seen wearing masks and gloves; sanitizers to be used during the voting, which is first of its kind after COVID19 pandemic.

I appeal to people of the State to exercise their right to vote: Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav

Polling began Wednesday morning in 71 assembly constituencies of Bihar in the first phase of three-phase elections amid tight security and COVID-19 guidelines in place.

Of the nearly 2.15 crore electors eligible to exercise the franchise, 1.12 crore are male, 1.01 crore female and 599 are categorised as third gender, according to data provided by the Election Commission.

Guidelines have been issued by the Commission for safe conduct of the electoral exercise in the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

These guidelines include lowering the maximum number of voters for a polling booth from 1,600 to 1,000, staggering of polling hours and extending postal ballot facility for those above 80.

Besides, sanitisation of electronic voting machines, wearing of masks and other protective gear by polling personnel and the availability of thermal scanner, hand sanitiser, soap and water has also to be ensured at polling stations.

The candidates in the fray in the first phase include 952 men and 114 women.

As many as 33 of the constituencies going to polls in the first phase have been declared as sensitive or hypersensitive constituencies, the poll panel said.

It said 31,371 polling stations have been set up in this phase and as many Electronic Voting Machines and Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will be used.

Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Jitendra Kumar told PTI-Bhasha that security forces have been deployed in adequate strength at all polling stations and the buildings housing them.

The local police has also been used to supplement the paramilitary forces wherever required, he said, adding the services of home guard jawans will also be taken at polling stations for works like maintaining the queue.

He said that as a precautionary measure, all security personnel deployed on poll duty have been given a coronavirus kit which has a face mask, gloves, a face shield and sanitisers.

He said special security arrangements have been made for the Naxal-affected areas. Most of the state's Naxal-hit areas are going to polls in the first phase, he said.

The administration will keep an aerial vigil also and one helicopter will be used for the purpose, he said.

Announcing the election schedule for the 243-member assembly on September 25, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said that polls will open as usual at 7 am but the voting hour will be extended by one hour until 6 pm, except in the Left Wing Extremism affected areas, so that COVID-19 patients can vote in the last hour of the day.

"Bihar assembly polls will be one of the biggest elections globally to be held during prevailing COVID-19 situation," Arora had