The crucial fifth and final phase of Bihar elections on Thursday recorded 60 per cent polling — the maximum in the State Assembly polls — even as the exit polls predicted a cliff-hanger contest.
Briefing newspersons here on Thursday evening after polls had closed, Umesh Sinha, Deputy Election Commissioner, said women voters outnumbered men in today’s polling, which covered 57 constituencies.
“The State has recorded a voter turnout of 56.80 per cent in all the five phases, which is the highest ever recorded,” Sinha said.
Katihar recorded the highest voter turnout of 67.27 per cent among the 10 districts where voting took place on Thursday, against 62.33 per cent in the previous Assembly polls.
Saharsa, at 50.78 per cent, recorded the lowest, against 53.04 in the previous polls. Kishanganj recorded a turnout of 64.39 per cent (58.98 per cent) while Purnea recorded 62.59 per cent (60.25 per cent). Similarly, Araria reported 62 per cent, marginally better than the 60.3 per cent in the previous polls. The turnout in Darbhanga was 58.27 per cent, a nearly 11 per cent jump from 47.58 per cent in the last Assembly polls.