Voter Turnout Hits 51% in Rupauli Bypoll

Over 51% of more than three lakh voters cast their votes in the Rupauli assembly bypoll in Bihar by 5 PM on Wednesday. The by-election was triggered by Bima Bharti's resignation from JD(U). She is now contesting as an RJD candidate, with 10 other candidates in the fray.

More than 51 per cent of over three lakh electors exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Wednesday in the bypoll to the Rupauli assembly seat in Bihar, an official said.

Polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of sitting MLA Bima Bharti, who won the seat for JD(U) several times in the past but quit the party to contest the Lok Sabha elections on an RJD ticket. Following her loss in the parliamentary election, she is contesting in the bypoll as an RJD candidate.

A voter turnout of 51.14 per cent was recorded till 5 pm, the official said. Over three lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise and will decide the electoral fate of 11 candidates.

The JD(U) has fielded Kaladhar Prasad Mandal, who had contested the 2020 assembly polls from the seat as an independent. Former MLA Shankar Singh, who had quit the LJP (Ram Vilas) headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, is also in the fray as an independent.