Millions of Indians ignore coronavirus rules to vote in Bihar state election

Some 70 million people in the eastern state of Bihar are eligible to vote in the world’s biggest election since the coronavirus emerged

The state is governed by an alliance that includes PM Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which has promised a free vaccine for every Bihar resident if it wins

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Voters queue up to cast their ballots in Masaurhi on October 28, 2020. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:46pm, 28 Oct 2020Updated: 5:12am, 29 Oct 2020

Millions of Indians turned out to cast ballots in a state election on Wednesday in the world’s biggest vote since the coronavirus emerged, with booths packed out and many ignoring government advice on wearing masks and social distancing.

Some 70 million people are eligible to vote in Bihar, an impoverished eastern state governed by an alliance that includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has promised a free vaccine for every person in the state if it wins.

The election comes as India, the world’s second most-infected nation, records between 40,000 and 50,000 new cases each day and looks set to surpass the 8 million mark on Thursday.

Voters display their identity cards outside a polling station at Paliganj. Photo: AP

“I am a little afraid because corona is not a small disease,” said Nidhi Kumari, a 21-year-old student queuing up to vote on the outskirts of the state capital Patna. “But there are precautions at polling booths. They are giving sanitisers and gloves.”

Polls closed one hour later at 6pm local time compared to previous elections, to encourage less crowding at booths.

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