Polling began Wednesday morning in 71 assembly constituencies of Bihar in the first phase of three-phase elections amid tight security and COVID-19 guidelines in place.

Of the total 2,14,84,787 electors eligible to exercise the franchise, 1,12,76,396 are male voters, 1,01,29,101 are female electors and 599 are in third gender category, according to data provided by the Election Commission

There are 78,691 service electors

A total of 1,066 candidates — 952 men and 114 women — are in the fray in the first phase of elections being held in constituencies spread across 16 districts.

Guidelines have been issued by the Commission for safe conduct of the electoral exercise in the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic

These guidelines include lowering the maximum number of voters for a polling booth from 1,600 to 1,000, staggering the polling hours and extending postal ballot facility to those above 80

Besides, sanitisation of electronic voting machines, wearing of masks and other protective gear by polling personnel and the availability of thermal scanner, hand sanitiser, soap and water has also to be ensured at polling stations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to people to follow all COVID-19 norms while going to cast their votes

“I urge all voters to ensure their participation in this festival of democracy taking all COVID-19 related precautions. Keep ?do gaj ki doori’ (maintain a distance of two yards,) and wear mask mandatorily. Voting first, breakfast later,” he tweeted

As the polling began, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people to cast their votes in favour of the Mahagathbandhan for “justice, employment and farmers-workers”

“This time for justice, employment, farmers-workers, your vote should be only for ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance),” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi

“Good wishes to all of you on the first phase of Bihar elections,” he tweeted with the hashtag in Hindi ‘Aaj Badlega Bihar’

RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav urged people to vote for a better future, education, health, jobs and development for Bihar

As many as 33 of the constituencies going to polls in the first phase have been declared as ?sensitive or hypersensitive? constituencies, the poll panel said

It said 31,371 polling stations have been set up in this phase and as many Electronic Voting Machines and Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will be used

Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Jitendra Kumar told PTI-Bhasha that paramilitary forces have been deployed in adequate strength at all polling stations and the buildings housing them.

The local police has also been used to supplement the paramilitary forces wherever required, he said, adding the services of home guard jawans will also be taken at polling stations for works like maintaining the queue.

He said that as a precautionary measure, all security personnel deployed on poll duty have been given a coronavirus kit which has a face mask, gloves, a face shield and sanitisers

He said special security arrangements have been made for the Naxal-affected areas. Most of the state’s Naxal-hit areas are going to polls in the first phase, he said

The administration will keep an aerial vigil also and one helicopter will be used for the purpose, he said.

Announcing the election schedule for the 243-member assembly on September 25, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said that polls will open as usual at 7 am but the voting hour will be extended by one hour until 6 pm, except in the Left Wing Extremism affected areas, so that COVID-19 patients can vote in the last hour of the day

“Bihar assembly polls will be one of the biggest elections globally to be held during prevailing COVID-19 situation,” Arora had said.

The second and the third phase of polls are scheduled for November 3 and November 7. The results will be announced on November 10.