Polling was underway at a moderate pace on Tuesday across 122 assembly constituencies of Bihar, where 14.55 per cent of 3.7 crore voters exercised their franchise till 9 am to decide the electoral fate of 1,302 candidates in the second and final phase of voting.

Although Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is a member of the state legislative council, is not himself contesting the polls, the election is being seen as a veritable referendum on the JD(U) president who has been in the seat of power longer than any of his predecessors.