The Third and last phase of the Bihar assembly polls are underway and according to the election commission of India, the state has registered 54.06 Per cent voter turnout till 5 pm. Polling has started in 78 assembly constituencies across 16 districts in the state from 7 AM.

About 2.35 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 1,204 candidates, including the Speaker and 12 ministers in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. The prominent candidates include Vikassheel Insan party (VIP) president Mukesh Sahni, assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, and former union minister Sharad Yadav’s daughter Subhashini Yadav.

The election commission has mandated face mask, handsanitizers, thermal scanners, gloves, facials and PPE kids during the electoral process while ensuring social distancing norms. It also laid down guidelines for each polling station, including sunny sanitisation a day before the polls, markers for social distancing, putting up of COVID-19 awareness posters and availability of hand gloves. The counting of votes will take place on November 10. So far, Bihar has recorded a voter turnout of 55.69 I am percent in the first phase and 53.51% in the second phase of polls for 243 member assembly.