Police personnel carry EVM machines to polling booths ahead of the first phase of Bihar assembly polls, in Samastipur on Sunday, October 11, 2015. (Press Trust of India photo)
After a high pitch campaigning which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the rival camps led by Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad holding a string of rallies, the stage is set for voting in 49 seats of Bihar Assembly elections in the first phase of the five-phase poll tomorrow.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshamanan said that a total of 1,35,72,339 electorate - of which 72,37,253 are men, 63,17,602 women and 405 of third gender - are eligible to decide the fate of 583 candidates for the 49 seats in 10 districts in the first phase of elections.
Mr Lakshamanan said voting would start from 7 am. While in majority of seats polling would end at 5 PM, in some constituencies time has been cut short to 4 pm and 3 pm on the basis of law and order situation feedback in the Naxal-hit areas, he said.
Mr Lakshamanan said out of a total of 583 candidates in the field, there are 54 women nominees.
BSP, which does not have much influence in Bihar, has fielded 41 candidates among the 49 seats.
BJP has fielded 27 candidates in the 49 seats followed by Janata Dal (United) 24, Rashtriya Janata Dal 17, Lok Janshakti Party 13, Congress 8 and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party 6 and Hindusthani Awam Morcha 3. Left front is trying to make significant inroads in the poll on the basis of combined strength of six parties - CPI, CPI-M, CPI-ML, Forward Block, SUCI (C) and RSP.
While CPI has fielded 25 candidates, CPI-M has fielded 12 in the first phase.
Lakshamanan said tight security arrangements have been put in place to ensure peaceful polling in 13212 polling stations in the first phase.
Bihar will go for polls in a five phase election from October 12 and end on November 5. Counting of votes will take place on November 8. The term of the current 243-member Bihar Assembly expires on November 29.
There would be 80,000 to 90,000 polling personnel. Every polling station would be manned by the Central Para Military Force, he said adding drone and helicopter would also be put in service.