Patna, Nov. 7 -- The first phase of polling in Bihar on Thursday concluded largely peacefully, with stray incidents of violence being reported. The poll recorded a voter turnout of nearly 65 per cent, the highest in the State's history. Elections were held across 121 constituencies in 18 districts, marking the beginning of a closely watched, high-stakes contest, seen as a litmus test of the ruling NDA's popularity.

In the 2020 Assembly election, voter participation in these 121 constituencies was 55.81 per cent, marking a significant improvement from the previous election.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar congratulated the voters of Bihar for the historic turnout in the first phase of the Assembly polls since 1951. During...