NEW DELHI: Women voters took the lead in what the Election Commission of India (ECI) described as Bihar’s highest-ever voter turnout, with 71.6 per cent of female electors casting their ballots compared to 62.8 per cent of men. According to ECI data released on Tuesday after the conclusion of the second and final phase of polling, women consistently outnumbered men at the booths. In the first phase on November 6, 69.04 per cent of women turned out to vote, well above the 61.56 per cent male turnout. The trend strengthened in the second phase, when 74.03 per cent of women voters exercised their franchise, again surpassing the 64.1 per cent turnout among men. Overall, Bihar recorded a 66.91 per cent voter turnout — the highest since the state’s first elections in 1951 — with women driving the surge in participation.The ECI clarified that the data is provisional and excludes service voters, postal ballots, and transgender voter turnout. The final figures will be released later through the ECI Index Card, it said. The first phase of polling covered 121 assembly constituencies, while the remaining 122 seats were voted in the second. Counting of votes for all 243 constituencies is scheduled for Friday. Meanwhile, exit polls have projected a strong showing for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against the opposition Mahagathbandhan coalition — though the exit polls are not always accurate.(With PTI inputs)
