Bihar Election 2020 Phase 3 highlights: Polling concludes for Bihar assembly elections; counting of votes on November 10

Voting in 78 seats in the third and the final phase of Bihar election 2020 begins. At least 1,204 candidates in fray in the final round of Assembly polls. It is this phase of voting that may tilt the balance in favour of either of the two alliances – one led by Nitish Kumar and the other by his rival Tejashwi Yadav. Voting for the first phase was held on October 28 and for the second phase on November 3. Results will be out on November 10.

Polling concludes for Bihar assembly elections; counting of votes on November 10

For live updates on the Bihar Assembly Election: Exit Polls, click here

Wanted criminal's brother shot dead near polling booth in Purnia

The younger brother of jailed criminal Bittu Singh, wanted in more than a dozen murder and extortion cases, was shot dead on Saturday near a polling booth in the district when he was going to cast the ballot, police said.

The 30-year-old Beni Singh was shot dead at Sarsi village in Dhamdaha assembly constituency by a bike-borne assailant, Superintendent of Police Vishal Sharma said.

Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra addresses the concluding session of the International Virtual Election Visitors Programme 2020 for Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, in New Delhi.

An estimated 46 per cent of the total 2.35 crore electors exercised their franchise till 3 pm in the 78 assembly seats of Bihar where polling is underway in the third and final phase of elections on Saturday.

While the polling so far has been peaceful, police had to open fire in the air in Purnia to disburse a crowd trying to disturb voting, even as people boycotted voting at 12 booths in Katihar in protest against barriers not being set up at two railway crossings.

The poll opened at 7 am in the 78 assembly seats spread across 15 districts of north Bihar.

Two brothers fighting it out in Jokihat; the one on RJD ticket booked for violating MCC

The RJD candidate from Jokihat assembly segment Sarfaraz Alam, who seeks to wrest the seat from his own brother now contesting on an AIMIM ticket, has ended up being booked for violating model code of conduct, a senior official said on Saturday.

45.85% voter turnout recorded till 3pm in the third and final phase of Bihar assembly elections: Election Commission of India

Bihar polls: Octogenarian brought on cot to cast vote in Katihar

While the polling so far has been peaceful, police had to open fire in the air in Purnia to disperse a crowd trying to disturb voting, even as people boycotted polling at 12 booths in Katihar in protest against barriers not being set up at two railway crossings.

34.82 % voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in the ongoing third phase of Bihar Elections 2020.

Locals make a temporary bridge in Darbanga to help voters reach a polling station.

"There was no bridge to cross the water stream. We constructed this bridge for easy movement of people. We wanted maximum people to cast their vote,” says a local.

An election officer applies indelible ink on the finger of an elder voter during the third phase of Bihar Assembly Elections, at a polling station in Vaishali. Credit: PTI Photo

Bihar records 19.77% voter turnout till 11:00 am in the third phase of State Assembly elections.

Nitish Kumar appeals people to vote. "One of your votes will make it a developed region while continuing the pace of development in Bihar," he tweeted.

7.69% voter turnout recorded till 9 am in the third phase of Bihar Elections.

As polling for the last phase of Bihar assembly elections began on Saturday, BJP president J P Nadda appealed to people to vote in large numbers for development of the state.

Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) chief Sharad Yadav's daughter Subhashini Raj Rao casts her vote at a polling booth in Madhepura in the third & final phase of Bihar Election 2020.

She is the Congress candidate from Bihariganj.

Bihar polls: CM Nitish Kumar says this is his last election

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday stunned everybody when he declared that the 2020 Assembly polls would be his last election.

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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar does not have retirement on his mind, asserts JD(U)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's stunner that the ongoing assembly elections were his last, triggered hectic speculation in the political circles here Friday.

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I request all voters to participate in this festival of democracy in large numbers and set a new voting record. However, it is necessary to wear masks and maintain social distancing: PM Narendra Modi

The way people are connecting with 'Bihar first, Bihari first', I believe our performance will be good in this phase too. One thing is very clear Nitish Kumar Ji will never become the CM, says LJP chiefChirag Paswan.

Like Valmiki Nagar, all the 78 poll-bound assembly segments spread across 19 districts fall in north Bihar, as areas falling north of the Ganges in the state are called in common parlance. Many of these fall in the Kosi-Seemanchal region where the contest between NDA and Grand Alliance will be held under the shadow of Owaisi factor given the fact that the AIMIM has fielded candidates in many of the Muslim-dominated seats here and the Hyderabad MP also carried out a hectic campaign.

Besides, polling will also take place for Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat where a by-election has been necessitated by the death of sitting JD(U) MP Baidyanath Mahato The JD(U)'s bid to retain the Parliamentry seat by fielding his son Sunil Kumar is facing the primary challenge from Congress candidate Pravesh Kumar Mishra, a journalist- turned-politician.

About 2.34 crore voters, spread across 78 assembly segments of the 243-strong Assembly, will decide the fates of 1204 candidates, including the Speaker and 12 members of the state cabinet.

The third phase of polling is all the more significant as most of the constituencies are in Kosi (an NDA stronghold) and Seemanchal (a Mahagathbandhan fiefdom), with some districts in the latter zone having minorities up to 65 per cent of the population.

It is this phase of voting that may tilt the balance in favour of either of the two alliances – one led by Nitish Kumar and the other by his rival Tejashwi Yadav.

Good morning readers, with polling in 165 seats, out of 243 constituencies, over in the first two phases, all eyes are on the third and last phase of election for the remaining 78 seats that will be held today. Stay tuned for live updates.