Bihar elections 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged voters to exercise their electoral rights as polling for the first phase of Bihar Assembly polls is underway.

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"Today is the first round of voting in Bihar assembly elections. I urge all voters to ensure their participation in this festival of democracy, taking precautions related to Covid. Maintain 6-feet distance and wear a mask. Remember first vote, then refreshment!" Modi tweeted.

Voting began on 71 constituencies spread across 16 districts in the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections on Wednesday at 7 am. As many as 1,066 candidates are in the fray including 42 from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 35 from Janata Dal (United), 29 from BJP, 21 from Congress and 8 from Left parties. Bihar is witnessing a triangular contest with the ruling JDU-BJP alliance and grand alliance (RJD, Congress and others) and Chirag Paswan`s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which is eying the role of a kingmaker in case of a hung Assembly.

On one side is the NDA which includes JD-U (contesting 115 seats), BJP (110 seats), Vikassheel Insaan Party (11 seats) and Jitan Ram Manjhi`s Hindustani Awam Morcha (7 seats). Mahagathbandhan which picked Tejashwi Yadav as chief ministerial candidate constitutes RJD (144 seats) and the Congress with 70 seats. Other alliance partners include the CPI-ML (19 seats), CPI (6 seats), and the CPIM (4 seats). LJP is contesting 136 seats on its own and fielded candidates against all JD-U nominees and only a few against BJP. 

The story has been taken from a news agency