 "Campaigning ends for first phase of Bihar polls")
Campaigning ended on Saturday evening for 49 assembly constituencies that go to the polls in the first round of voting in Bihar on Monday.
The past two weeks saw hectic campaign by top leaders of the Grand Alliance headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP-led coalition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It witnessed a war of words and personal attacks.
About 13.5 million voters are eligible to decide the fate of 586 candidates on Monday in 49 of the total 243 assembly constituencies. The five-phase polling will end on November 5.
The districts that will go to the polls in the first phase are Samastipur, Begusarai, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nawada and Jamui.
According to the Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch, as many as 130 candidates in the first round face serious criminal charges.
The Bihar election results will be known on November 8.