Voting for the first phase of Bihar’s Assembly election got underway on Wednesday amid the coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to take “all the COVID-related precautions” and participate in the “festival of democracy.”

In a Tweet in Hindi, Modi urged voters to practice social distancing and wear masks.

Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP) president JP Nadda, too, urged the voters for the same.

71 seats are up for polling on Wednesday for Phase I of Bihar Assembly polls and more than two crore voters in Bihar will decide the fate of 1,006 candidates. 2.14 crore voters will vote in the first phase to elect their MLAs.

Voting in Phase II and III will be held on November 3 and 7, respectively. Votes will be counted on November 10.

Guidelines have been issued by the Election Commission for safe conduct of the electoral exercise.

These include lowering the cap on the maximum number of voters for a polling booth from 1,600 to 1,000, staggering of polling hours and postal ballot facility for those aged above 80, or those afflicted with or suspected to be carrying the contagion.

Besides, sanitisation of electronic voting machines, wearing of masks and other protective gear by polling personnel and availability of thermal scanner, hand sanitiser, soap and water will be ensured.

The Bihar polls are being held in three phases — October 28, November 3 and November 7. The results will be out on November 10.