Key Indian state of Bihar votes in national litmus test

Braving Maoist threats and a humid hot afternoon, hundreds of thousands voted.

Only 9 out of a total of 32 seats would see voting from 7 AM to 5 PM. 12 Constituencies would witness voting till 4 PM, while 11 others would have balloting only till 3 PM, Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshamanan said.

Narendra Modi's most crucial political test this year begins on Monday in a state with more people than Germany. "I never claimed that Bihar is a developed state. He was not insulting Nitish... puray Bihar ki mahaan janata ko gaali diya desh ka Pradhan Mantri (This Prime Minister abused the great people of Bihar)".

Most of the pre-poll surveys are tilted towards a BJP win in Bihar.

"The bugle of Mahabharat has been blown and the BJP has been swept away by the wind", Lalu said.

"Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for upsurge in voters" turnout in Bihar Assembly polls, the BJP national spokesperson M J Akbar today expressed confidence that the NDA will romp home to power and usher in "Kamal kranti" (Lotus revolution) in the state over next five years. A memorandum submitted by the BJP has alleged that by seeking a ban on live telecast, the Grand Alliance is attacking democratic values.

An Indian polling official marks the finger of a woman voter with... However, the district magistrate also said that the authenticity of the video will be probed.

Mr Modi, who has pledged billions of dollars for development in Bihar, urged people to come out and vote "in large numbers" as polls opened in the morning.

In another tweet, the RJD chief said "Modi is the face of BJP in Bihar, campaigning with his entire ministry and machinery for the last three months. He has constructed roads, provided electricity, and set up schools and hospitals in rural areas", he said. The poll bound districts are Samastipur, Begusarai, Khagariya, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nawada and Jamui.

But now, Nitish has hit back at Modi, saying he should declare Manjhi the chief ministerial candidate of the NDA for the Bihar Assembly elections if he was so hurt by the mahadalit leader's ouster. "Our villages are not developed, all the attention has been focused on towns".

The heavyweights in the fray on Monday included state LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras, BJP ally HAM state president Shakuni Choudhary and Congress leader and former Speaker Sadanand Singh.