PATNA, Nov. 12 -- The second phase of polling for 122 assembly constituencies across 20 districts in Bihar concluded peacefully on Tuesday, with a record voter turnout of approximately 68.79%, which is the highest turnout ever recorded in the state since 1951. This contributed to an overall turnout of 66.91% across both phases, involving 74.5 million electors, marking a significant increase from the 57.29% recorded in the 2020 assembly elections. Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said that the figure could rise slightly as data from around 2,000 booths was still to be included. He highlighted the absence of violence across all 45,399 booths and added that 1,302 candidates were in the fray, including 136 women and one third-gender candidate. Gunjiyal added that the turnout reflected a 9.67% rise compared to the previous polls. "Around 35 booths in both phases, including 18 booths in the VTR region in the second phase, witnessed a poll boycott for various reasons," he added. The Seemanchal region saw particularly impressive participation, with Katihar leading at 78.63%, followed by Kishanganj at 78.06% and Purnea at 76.04%. Observers attribute this surge to the sanitisation of electoral rolls under the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which involved deletions of 6-7% of names, effectively boosting percentages. Additionally, high migrant populations in areas like Kishanganj and Purnea, along with strong turnout among women and youths who stayed in native villages post-festival season, played a key role. Overall, the lowest turnout was in Nawada at 57.85%, while higher figures were also reported in West Champaran, East Champaran, Gaya, Jamui, Banka, Sheohar, Jehanabad, and Rohtas. Security arrangements throughout the polls were robust, with Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Kundan Krishnan stating that as many as 1,625 companies of the central armed police, apart from those of Bihar Special Armed Police and district forces were deployed to ensure free and fair polls. "For the first time in two decades, polling booths were established in Naxal-infested areas without relocation, allowing fearless voting in areas of Chakarbanda in Imamganj, Chormara in Jamui, etc," he added. The second phase sealed the fate of 1,302 candidates, including 12 ministers in the chief minister Nitish Kumar's cabinet. JD(U) ministers in the fray included Vijendra Yadav (Supaul), Lesi Singh (Dhamdaha), Jayant Kushwaha (Amarpur), Sumit Singh (Chakai), Mohammad Jama Khan (Chainpur), and Sheela Mandal (Phoolparas). BJP ministers contesting were Prem Kumar (Gaya), Renu Devi (Bettiah), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikati), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Neeraj Singh Bablu (Chhatapur), and Krishnanandan Paswan (Harsiddhi). Other notable constituencies included Sasaram, Imamganj, Mohania, Bihpur, Gopalpur, Pirpainti, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon, Sultanganj, and Nathnagar. For the ruling NDA and opposition INDIA bloc, these 122 seats - spanning Seemanchal, south and west Bihar (including Gaya, Rohtas, Kaimur, and Aurangabad) - are critical to outperforming their 2020 results. The NDA highlighted ongoing development, portraying the RJD and Mahagathbandhan allies as obstacles, while the RJD-Congress-led INDIA bloc focused on job promises for uncovered households and accelerated development. Seat distribution included 11 in East Champaran, 10 each in Madhubani and Gaya, nine in West Champaran, eight in Sitamarhi, seven each in Bhagalpur, Rohtas, Purnia, and Katihar, six each in Araria and Aurangabad, five each in Nawada, Banka, and Supaul, four each in Kaimur, Jamui, and Kishanganj, three in Jehanabad, two in Arwal, and one in Sheohar. In 2020, BJP had won 42 of these, RJD 33, JD(U) 20, Congress 11, and Left parties five collectively....