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The first phase of Bihar Assembly elections kicked off to a moderate start on Thursday for 47 out of 243 seats in the Kosi-Seemachal and Mithilanchal belts. The voting began today at 0700 hrs morning amidst unprecedented security measures.

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As per report of the sources, nearly 10 percent of the voters exercised their vote till 0900 hrs on Thursday out of an estimated 1.07 crore voters, including 50.2 lakh women and 3829 service voters, who are eligible to cast their vote in their franchise at 10,454 polling centres in the state.

In order to prevent any kind of untoward incident, security has been beefed up in naxalite prone region. The borders with Madhubani, Supaul, Kishanganj and Araria districts have been sealed and checking is introduced to prevent entry of trouble-makers.

The eight districts going to the polls are Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia, Madhepura, Saharsa, Katihar, Supaul and Mithilanchal.

Prominent among the 631 contestants are senior Janata Dal (United) ministers Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Narendra Narain Yadav, Renu Kumari, Hari Prasad Sah, Congress nominee Ranjeet Ranjan (wife of former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav), state Congress chief Choudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser and Lovely Anand (wife of former MP Anand Mohan).

Sources have also reported that in order to ensure unbiased polling, government has appointed ‘Observers’ and ‘Micro observers’ at the polling booths. Moreover, Election Commission has also introduced live webcast at 20 percent of the booths and the entire process will be videographed.

Special ramps and braille-EVMs have been arranged for the physically and visually challenged voters.

Interestingly, voters were seen brimming with enthusiasm for exercising their vote in most of the booths of Madhubani, Madhepura, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Araria and Saharsa districts where many elderly women queued up in large numbers even before voting began at 7 am.

The second phase of election will take place on October 24.

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