Patna (Bihar) [India], November 6 (ANI): As the first phase of Bihar assembly elections commenced on Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Bankipur candidate and state minister Nitin Nabin urged people to 'create a record by voting in maximum numbers' today,

'I just want to say that people of Patna to come out of their houses and cast their votes. I was the first to cast a vote at my polling booth. The people of Patna should create a record by casting maximum votes. You should vote first then do jaalpaan (refreshments). People should make a record by voting in large numbers across Bihar,' state minister Nitin Nabin told reporters here.

The state minister cast his vote early in the morning on Thursday, along with his wife Deepamala Shrivastava at polling station in Miller High School, Booth Numbers 394 and 396 in Digha, Patna, to cast his vote.

When asked whether he believes an NDA or a Mahagathbandhan government will form in the state, he added, 'I just want a government which works for the development, progress of Bihar.'

Meanwhile, Deepmala Shrivastava, Nabin's wife also expressed confidence in the state 'moving on the path of development.'

'Bihar should keep moving on the path of development, and I have cast my vote keeping the same in my mind. A good government will come to power in Bihar,' she told ANI.

The high-profile Bankipur Assembly constituency in Patna district is set for a keen triangular contest as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Nitin Nabin, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Rekha Kumari, and Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) candidate Vandana Kumari.

The BJP has once again placed its trust in sitting MLA and state Road Construction Minister, 45-year-old Nitin Nabin. He has represented the Bankipur seat since 2010.

The Bankipur Assembly constituency, falling under the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat, is one of the 243 seats in the Bihar Legislative Assembly. It has long been a BJP stronghold, historically dominated by the father-son duo of Nabin Kishor Prasad Sinha and Nitin Nabin.

The constituency faces significant infrastructure challenges, including poor road connectivity, inadequate healthcare facilities, and limited access to quality education. Residents are demanding improvements in these areas.

According to Election Commission data, 391,775 voters were registered in Bankipur during the 2020 Assembly polls, including 208,708 men, 183,038 women and 29 from the third gender.

The assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held on November 6 and 11, respectively, while the results will be declared on November 14. (ANI)