PATNA (Nov 5): Voting for the first phase of Bihar’s 2025 Assembly elections was held across 121 constituencies in 18 districts on Wednesday, with a 60.13% voter turnout recorded till 5 PM, according to the Election Commission.
Polling began at 7 AM and will continue till 6 PM in most constituencies, except for areas with security concerns — including Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Mahishi, Tarapur, Munger, Jamalpur, and 56 booths in Suryagarha, where voting ended at 5 PM.
The phase will decide the fate of 1,314 candidates, including major political figures such as Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, his brother Tej Pratap Yadav, and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
A total of 3.75 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in this phase. The voter turnout climbed steadily through the day — 13.13% by 9 AM, 53.77% by 3 PM, and 60.13% by 5 PM.
The contest is primarily between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) — and the Mahagathbandhan alliance, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged citizens to vote in large numbers, describing participation as a “festival of democracy.”
The NDA is seeking re-election based on Nitish Kumar’s two-decade rule in Bihar and the 11-year record of the Modi government at the Centre, while the opposition is banking on anti-incumbency, job creation promises, and governance reforms.
Other key players in the fray include Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which could influence results in certain pockets.
The first phase campaign ended on Wednesday evening, with both alliances making their final push through rallies and roadshows.
Counting of votes for all phases will take place later this month.