Bihar assembly bypolls: Kusheshwar Asthan seat records 49.60 pc, Tarapur witnesses 51.47 pc voter turnout

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 31 (ANI): Kusheshwar Asthan assembly seat in Darbhanga district recorded 49.60 per cent voter turnout while the Tarapur Assembly seat in Munger district recorded 51.47 per cent voter turnout in the bye-elections held on Saturday, said the Election Commission of India.
The by-polls in the two assembly seats have become a battle of prestige for the ruling Janata Dal (United) and the main opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav himself campaigned in the Assembly constituencies after he returned to Bihar.
Earlier on Friday, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had accused the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in the state of pressurising officials to make people vote in favour of a specific party.
Tejashwi had also alleged that there is a lack of development in the state and said that had there been development, the government would have never needed to "distribute gifts" to people.
In 2020, the ruling coalition, NDA secured a majority with 125-seats in the 243-seat strong Bihar Legislative Assembly of which BJP won 74 seats, Janata Dal (United) on 43 while eight seats were won by two other NDA constituents.
The RJD, on the other hand, emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats while Congress won only 19 of the 70 seats it had contested.
Meanwhile, by-elections are being held in three parliamentary constituencies and 30 assembly constituencies in different states today.
The counting of votes and announcement of results will be on November 2. (ANI)