Patna/New Delhi: Bihar has recorded a huge turnout of 64.66% polling in the first phase, the highest in the state's history. Before this, the highest figure for an Assembly election in Bihar was 62.57 per cent in 2000. For the Lok Sabha elections, the state's highest voter turnout was 64.6 per cent in 1998.

Out of the total 243 Assembly constituencies, 121 voted on Thursday in a crucial triangular contest between Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) led-National Democratic Alliance, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Indian National Congress-led Mahagathbandhan (or Grand Alliance) and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party.

Polling started at 7 am and concluded at 6pm. Among the 18 districts, Begusarai recorded the highest turnout of 67.32%, followed by Gopalganj at 64.96% and Muzaffarpur at 64.635. Patna district picks up the pace with a voter turnout of 55.02%.

The increased voter turnout is very significant because the special intensive revision (SIR) of the state's voter list - a contentious exercise the Opposition called an attempt to disenfranchise voters from poor and marginalised groups who, they claimed, traditionally vote for them - deleted 47 lakh names.

The reduction in the overall voter base - from 7.89 crore before the exercise to 7.42 crore after - could account for the increased turnout percentage, but only if the actual number of voters is the same.

This phase is crucial for the smaller parties in both coalitions. Ten of the 20 seats CPI(ML) is contesting fall under this phase, out of which they hold six seats. In the NDA, 10 of the 29 seats that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) contested are in the first phase. NDA holds only one of these ten seats.

The LJP(RV)’s seat share had sparked discontent among the NDA allies, particularly the JD(U), who argued that the party’s allocation was disproportionate given its lack of representation in the Assembly.

Several top leaders are in fray in this phase, including the Opposition’s Chief Ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav and over a dozen BJP and JD(U) Ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, including Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.

RJD president Lalu Prasad, who hopes that his younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav will form the next government, came out with an evocative social media post, drawing the analogy of a “roti”.

Deputy CM Sinha, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term from Lakhisarai, claimed that one of the cars in his convoy was attacked by RJD supporters trying to “intimidate” voters belonging to extremely backward classes.