NEW DELHI: The coronavirus scare failed to impact the turnout in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly election with 55.69 per cent of the nearly 2.15 crore eligible voters having exercised their franchise on Wednesday.
According to the Election Commission, as compared to the corresponding assembly segments which went to poll in the 2015 stated elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout this time was higher.
In the 2015 assembly elections, the turnout was 54.94 per cent in the corresponding constituencies.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls -- with the same assembly seats mapped to parliamentary seats -- the turnout was 53.54 per cent.
"So, the turnout in phase one is higher than both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections," a spokesperson said on Thursday while issuing the final figures for the first of the three-phase polls.
The next phase of polling will be held on November 3 and the final phase is on November 7.
A total of 71 assembly constituencies of Bihar spread across 16 districts went to polls on Wednesday in the first phase amid tight security and with COVID-19 guidelines in place.
Of the nearly 2.15 crore electors eligible to exercise the franchise, 1.12 crore are male, 1.01 crore female and 599 are categorised as third gender, according to data provided by the Election Commission.