The polling has begun for second and final phase of assembly elections in Bihar. Voting is taking place for 122 constituencies spread over 20 districts in this phase. More than 3 crore 70 lakh voters will decide the fate of one thousand 302 candidates.
The voting, which began at 7 am, will conclude at 6 in the evening, except for 7 constituencies, where it will end at 5 pm for security reasons. Director General of Police Vinay Kumar said that, from a security point of view, the borders adjoining Nepal and the inter-state borders with Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand have been sealed and regular patrolling is underway.
The operation of the Maitri Express train service between Jainagar, Madhubani and to Janakpur in Nepal has been suspended till the completion of polling. Election Commission has established a state-of-the-art Control and Command Centre at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Patna to oversee the entire election process.
Similar control rooms have also been set up in all 20 district headquarters. To convey the message of women’s empowerment, 595 polling stations will be managed entirely by women polling staff, while 21 PwD polling booths will be operated by differently-abled personnel. Additionally, 316 model polling stations have been established.
