Voting begins at 7 a.m. on November 11, concluding the staggered polls that started with a record 65% turnout in phase one. Results will be declared on November 14, potentially reshaping Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s NDA coalition against the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan.
Election officials confirmed polling parties, escorted by central forces, were dispatched Monday evening. “More than 250 companies have been deployed; borders at 120 points are sealed,” said Swarn Prabhat, SP East Champaran.
District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal of Motihari added, “All arrangements are complete with large-scale force deployment.”
For the first time in nearly 25 years, residents of Herhaj, Pathra, and Kewaldih villages in Imamganj block will vote locally. Naxalite threats had shifted booths to distant Salaiya since 2001, disenfranchising locals due to travel barriers. “They couldn’t reach; now they vote at home,” an official noted.
Security remains paramount. The India-Nepal border is closed for 72 hours from Saturday, with BSF patrols and vehicle checks. Voting hours extend to 6 p.m. at 4,109 sensitive booths in 20 constituencies, including Chainpur and Aurangabad.
Campaigns ended Sunday with intense activity. Nitish Kumar held 181 rallies over 25 days, clocking 1,448 hours. PM Narendra Modi addressed 20 meetings, Home Minister Amit Shah 38. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav led with 171 rallies, promising post-November 14 development in food processing, education, and jobs.
Political barbs flew thick. Tejashwi questioned the Election Commission over 208 paramilitary companies from BJP-ruled states. He slammed Modi’s rally rhetoric: “Which web series is he watching? He has spare time while we distribute jobs.” BJP’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh countered Rahul Gandhi’s Gen Z appeal as admission of defeat.
The Supreme Court dismissed a petition against Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary’s candidacy over alleged age discrepancies in affidavits. “Don’t waste the court’s time,” the bench ruled.
Allegations of voter list manipulation persist. CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya highlighted deleted names under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), affecting migrants. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari echoed Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” claims from Haryana. BJP’s Sanjay Jaiswal defended clean-ups of deceased and duplicate voters.
Violence marred post-phase one. In Gopalganj, two families, including Dalits, reported assaults for supporting BJP despite Yadav surnames.
The NHRC ordered probes into a viral video of alleged caste-based hate speech by an RJD leader in Samastipur.
With 13 BJP chief ministers campaigning and borders locked, Bihar’s electoral fate hinges on turnout and security in this high-stakes finale.
