The counting process in the Bihar assembly elections is proving to be a slow process: at 4pm, only about 42% of the votes had been counted. With Covid restrictions in place and the number of voters limited to 1,000 per seat, this time 63% more EVM was used.
According to the ECI, the number of polling stations increased from 72,723 previously to 1,06,515.
Around 2.7 million rupees of the 4.11 million voters surveyed in Bihar were counted as of 5.30pm. Despite the trends at 7.45pm showing a clear advantage for the NDA, with the BJP increasing its gap with the rest, the Opposition remains hopeful given the peculiarity of counting in this election.
Given the special circumstances of the coronavirus, the electoral commission had limited the maximum number of voters per booth from a maximum of 1,500 to 1,000. This means an increase in the number of polling places, from where the votes will be counted on Tuesday.
In 2015, the count was carried out at 38 locations. This time, it’s happening in 55 locations. Officials also said the number of counting rounds ranges from 19 to 51, about 35 rounds on average.
Bihar Election Results: Full Coverage
Election director HR Srinivasa said that this time around 4.10 million votes were cast. The total number of voters in Bihar stood at 71,822,450. Previously there used to be 25-26 counting rounds, this time it went up to around 35 rounds. So the count will continue until late at night. EC officials said the tables in one particular room, where votes are counted, have been reduced to seven from the previous 14 to maintain social distancing in light of the Covid-19 threat.
RJD leader Manoj Jha said that in multiple seats, the count could go as high as 30 to 35 rounds, leaving them room for a comeback, particularly with thin tracks at 70 seats.
Deputy Election Commissioner Ashish Kundra added that nearly 160,000 ballots were sent to in-service voters, of which (according to the most recent data) more than 50,000 have been received by the tellers (RO).
Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain further stated that the EVMs were absolutely robust, rejecting any questions about the possibility of altering the count.
Also read: Amit Shah calls Nitish Kumar while NDA maintains marginal advantage in Bihar
Bihar is witnessing a politically charged competition with numbers that appear to fall far short of the predictions of exit polls. Exit polls had predicted an advantage for Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD.
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