&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Bihar Elections 2025 Phase 1 HIGHLIGHTS | Polling ends in phase 1 at over 60% voter turnout")
The first phase of Bihar Elections 2025 were held today with 121 of 243 seats polling. The second phase is on November 11. The election results will be announced on November 14. Key contests in the first phase include Tejashwi Yadav in Raghopur, Tej Pratap in Mahua, Maithili Thakur in Alinagar, and Anant Singh in Mokama. NDA, INDIA bloc, and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj are the main contenders.
In 2020 state polls, the BJP-JDU alliance defeated the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan with a narrow margin. The BJP-JDU alliance won 125 seats (BJP 74, JDU 42, others 9), while the RJD won 75, Congress 19, and others 16. Although JDU was the junior partner in the alliance with fewer seats in its kitty, Nitish Kumar ended up being the Chief Minister of the state, for the seventh time. However, midway through his term, he did what most people expected the most from him! He shifted his allegiance and joined the Mahagathbandhan in 2022, taking oath as CM for the eighth term. This time, Kumar became instrumental in forming yet another anti-BJP grouping - the INDIA alliance, only to exit it in 2024. He patched up with the BJP and became the CM again and took oath for the ninth time.
Ahead of the Bihar Elections 2025, Nitish Kumar has vowed not to shift sides "ever again." The BJP is yet again rowing its boat with Nitish as its oarsman. The Mahagathbandhan is hesitant to project RJD's Tejashwi Yadav as its CM face, despite his commendable performance in the 2020 state elections. This time, the elder Lalu Yadav scion, Tej Pratap Yadav, is not with RJD anymore and has formed his own Janshakti Janta Dal. In the fray is also Prashant Kishore's Jan Suraaj - Delhi media's current favourite and man credited for the victory of many politicians in the country, from PM Modi to Mamata Banerjee. In NDA, there's Modi's ‘Hanuman’ - Union Chirag Paswan - His Lok Janshakti Party has not shied away from expressing its desire for the top post in the state. Apart from regional players like Mukesh Sahni’s VIP party, Paswan's uncle Pashupati Paras, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awami Morcha, there's Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM - whose party won a whopping five seats in the Seemanchal region last elections.
Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Gunjyal said that polling was boycotted in certain booths in Buxar, Fatuha and Suryagarha, according to PTI.
Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Gunjyal said that 143 complaints were received today and all of them were resolved on time.
"By the end of voting, 143 complaints were received. All were resolved on time. Furthermore, all complaints received directly by phone were resolved on time. Information about boycotts was also received at some polling stations, including polling station number 56 in the Brahmapur assembly constituency of Buxar district, polling stations number 165 and 166 in the Fatuha assembly constituency, and polling stations number 1, 2, and 5 in Suryagarha, near Lakhisarai... No untoward incidents have been reported in the first phase of voting that concluded today. Voting was conducted peacefully and smoothly," he added.
Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal shared the data of first phase of polling during a press conference.
He said that the voting percentage as of now is 64.46 % and the final figure will come in an hour, and the women voted in large numbers.
"Highest polling in the last 30 years indicates that change is coming to Bihar. A new system is going to be established on the 14th (November)..." Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor told ANI.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar, has announced a press conference at 7:30 pm on Thursday, following the completion of the first phase of polling for the Bihar Assembly Elections.
According to the Election Commission of India, Bihar is poised to achieve the highest voter turnout in the state’s history.
Voting for the phase 1 of the Bihar Assembly concluded at 6 pm across 121 constituencies in 18 districts.
VIP chief and Mahagathbandhan's deputy CM face Mukesh Sahani tells ANI: "There is a wave of change in Bihar. There is bumper voting happening. I hope that there will be a change in Bihar. A Mahagathbandhan government will be formed."
EVMs are being sealed by polling officials as the voting for the first phase of the Bihar elections concludes in Tarapur.
60.13 per cent approximate voter turnout recorded in the first phase of Bihar Election 2025, till 5 pm, ANI reported.
Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) founder Tej Pratap Yadav said his party would emerge as a "serious political force" after the Bihar elections.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday alleged that the NDA was "preparing to steal" the assembly polls in Bihar, “just like they did in Haryana”, PTI reported.
Addressing a poll rally in Bihar's Madhubani Union home minister Amit Shah says, "PM Modi has made the country safe. The PFI (Popular Front of India) even reached Phulwarisharif. It was an anti-national organisation... Tell me, should PFI be banned or not? PM Modi put everyone from PFI behind bars from Kerala to Phulwarisharif. Lalu says they should be released. Lalu ji, they will never be released, remember my words."
Approximately 53.77 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 till 3 PM, based on data released by the Election Commission of India.
After casting his vote, Educator Khan Sir told news agency ANI, "The people should vote keeping in mind their candidate and the issues of education, development, healthcare, employment, safety and security in mind. A vote is a very powerful thing. I appeal to the youth to vote."
Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha spoke to SP on the phone and said, "I am here at the village. The crowd is coming closer. Send Special Force here. I will sit here in protest. The SP is so weak and a cword. They are not letting the Deputy CM go in. They have hurled stones and cow dung." He says, "These are RJD goons. Look at their hooliganism, even when they have not come to power...They threatened my polling agent and turned him away at 6.30 am itself. They are not letting voters come out."
Bihar Deputy CM and BJP candidate from Lakhisarai constituency, Vijay Kumar Sinha, was surrounded by RJD supporters and pelted with slippers in Lakhisarai. They also chanted "Murdabad" and barred him from proceeding. During the incident, police personnel were also present, according to the news agency ANI.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "When I was 10-12 years old, I saw a woman in Amethi scold my father. She said, 'tum Rajiv Bhaiya toh ho hamare, Pradhan Mantri hoge lekin aapne bola tha hamare yaha nal (tap) lagaoge par lagaya nahi abhi tak, hum dobara vote nahi denge aapko'... He was the Prime Minister of the country, but a woman in a village scolded him; she was not scared. Nowadays, everyone has to fear. If you ask for your rights, you know the police will beat you and the administration will shut you down. That was not the time. The foundation of our country's politics was laid by Mahatma Gandhi, in which the people are supreme."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “You have seen the RJD government in action in Bihar. For the past 20 years, you have been witnessing a government led by Nitish Kumar... Some might argue that although more work was done during Nitish Kumar's tenure, a little more would have been better. But no one can deny that if anyone has worked to make Bihar a progressive state and a state moving towards a developed India, it has been under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar... I can confidently say that no matter who has been his opponent in the last 20 years, no one can point a finger at Nitish Kumar and say that he has done any corruption... During the RJD's rule, goons and criminals were rampant throughout... Everyone felt insecure. If anyone has destroyed the fame that Bihar,... it is the RJD... During the RJD's rule, goons and criminals were dominant and they openly roamed around with guns... Does RJD want to create a similar situation in Bihar again?... The conditions were such that if a person walked on the road after 5.00 pm, he would be terrified... But today, you can say with confidence that if you go somewhere outside Bihar, you can say, ‘Come see our NDA-ruled Bihar, our developed Bihar…’”
Addressing an election rally in Ramnagar, Bettiah, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Tell me, whether or not, we should eliminate names of Bangladeshis from the voter's list? Four months ago, Rahul Baba started 'Ghuspetiya Bachchao Yatra', and stated that Bangladeshi infiltrators should remain on our voters' list. I want to ask -should Bangladeshi infiltrators decide who will be the CM? No matter how many press conferences you (Rahul Gandhi) hold, the BJP will work to remove every infiltrator from the country."
Addressing a public rally, US CM Yogi Adityanath said, "Today I have come among you to ask who are those people who created an identity crisis for the youth of Bihar? Who are those people who tarnished Bihar's identity?... Let Bihar have the youth who have their own intelligence and own talent. Wherever Bihar's youth went in the world, they benefited society with their intelligence, intellect, talent, and identity. But the RJD and Congress, who created an identity crisis for Bihar, are again trying to create a deception. We are sure that Congress and RJD will not get a chance anymore..."
Responding to RJD, the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar refuted the claims of deliberate slow voting on booths with voters supporting RJD and the Mahagathbandhan.
“This allegation is completely baseless and misleading. Voting is taking place smoothly at all polling stations in Bihar. The Election Commission of India is following all standard protocols to ensure that the voting process is fair, transparent, and uninterrupted. There is no basis for such misleading propaganda,” the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar said.
RJD claimed that slow voting was being conducted deliberately at booths with voters supporting RJD and the ahagathbandhan.
“Information is being received from several booths in various assembly constituencies of Bihar that the administration is deliberately conducting slow voting at booths with voters supporting RJD and the Mahagathbandhan,” RJD wrote on X. “The Election Commission should maintain the sanctity and impartiality of the electoral process and take prompt action against the officials involved in such illegal activities.”
Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar said, "This is the festival of democracy. Voting in the first phase of election is being done across several districts. I appeal to all the people of Bihar to vote for their issues, for the future of their children, for jobs, food, house, education, health, roads, electricity, water and for their self-respect. The resentment against government needs to be shown in a positive direction..."
On Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's allegations over SIR, he said, "He has not only raised questions but also presented evidence for the same. This was the third press conference. EC refused to provide electronic data and evidence was compiled from the same EC's voter ID and physical copies. Evidence has been presented to show EC that they are not working properly. Had they been working properly, 22 votes would not have been there for a Brazilian model. This is a big question...A Govt that forms with 'Vote Chori' will not do anything properly..."
Union Minister and LJP(RV) Chief Chirag Paswan cast his vote in a polling booth in Khagaria. He said, "I have fulfilled my responsibility by casting my vote and I would like every person to do the same to elect a government of their choice..."
"If Mahagathbandhan had put as much effort into connecting with the public as they did into finding excuses, then they would not have needed these excuses. Mahagathbandhan is losing the election. They make an issue of SIR, Rahul ji keeps holding press conferences every day, if so much wrong is happening, then why don't they go to the court..."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused RJD and Congress of “jungle raj”, urging them to cast votes in large numbers for the NDA in an address at a rally in Araria on Thursday (Nov 5). He also said that infiltrators remain a major challenge in the state, accusing his opponents of “protecting infiltrators”. This comes as the first phase of the voting takes place in several districts of the state.
Contesting from Chhapra Assembly constituency in Saran district, Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav s pitted against Chhoti Kumari of BJP and Jai Prakash Singh of the Jan Suraaj. The seat was first allotted to Khesari's wife Chanda Devi but her name was omitted in the final SIR list. Known to be Lalu's 'karmbhoomi' in bygone days, Chhapra has remained BJP's safe seat since 2005.
In Bihar’s Darbhanga district, the Alinagar assembly seat has suddenly turned into the epicentre of a fascinating political experiment — one that mixes art, identity, and youth aspiration. At its heart is 25-year-old folk singer Maithili Thakur, who has traded her tanpura for a ticket, becoming the BJP’s youngest face in the 2025 assembly polls. READ MORE
From Tejashwi Yadav to Anant Singh, here's a list of top faces and constituencies from PHASE 1
- Tejashwi Yadav - Raghopur
- Tej Pratap Yadav - Mahua
- Maithili Thakur - Alinagar
- Samrat Choudhary - Tarapur
- Anant Singh - Mokama
- Khesari Lal Yadav - Chhapra
- Osama Shahab - Raghunathpur
- Vijay Kumar Sinha - Lakhisarai
- Shivani Shukla - Lalganj
Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting from Mahua after a gap of five years. He is the sitting MLA from the Hasanpur constituency, but he ditched Hasanpur to turn to Mahua this poll season. In the 2015 elections, he had won from the Mahua constituency. Now, he faces his former party colleague, RJD’s sitting MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan, and National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA’s) candidate from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s (LJP(RV)) Sanjay Singh. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj has given a ticket to Indrajeet Pradhan. READ MORE
Tejashwi (RJD) as sitting MLA from the constituency is seeking re-election and is pitted against BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav. Though Satish faced defeat from the seat in 2015 and 2020, BJP has once again placed its trust on him and has unleashed its entire machinery to unseat Lalu Yadav's scion from his family bastion of Raghopur. Chanchal Singh from the Jan Suraaj Party is also in fray. Traditionally a Yadav family bastion, the community is in majority in the constituency. READ MORE
Union Minister and LJP(RV) chief Chirag Paswan urged people to exercise their voting rights. Speaking to reporters in Patna, the LJP (RV) chief said, "I urge everyone to exercise their Right to Vote. I would like it if Bihar witnesses record voting in the first phase today."
RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan’s CM face Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader Misa Bharti leave from their residence to cast their votes
“Vote for whoever you want but this will decide the future of your children," Singer-actor and RJD candidate from Chapra, Khesari Lal Yadav says
Not all these constituencies have the same voting hours. There are three different time slots for voting in this phase. Here’s the complete breakdown:
- 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Polling in Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Mahishi, and 56 centres of Suryagarha will conclude early at 4 PM. These include Suryagarha centre numbers 168 to 169, 228 to 234, 240 to 249, 260 to 273, 362 to 372, 380, 385, 407 to 408, 416 to 417, 422, 425 to 436. Voting at all remaining Suryagarha centres will continue till 6 PM.
- 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
A total of 13 constituencies will have polling from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Voters arriving after 5 PM will not be allowed to cast their vote. These constituencies are: Kalyanpur, Warisnagar, Samastipur, Ujiarpur, Morwa, Sarai Ranjan, Mohiuddin Nagar, Bibhutipur, Rosra, Hasanpur, Tarapur, Munger, and Jamalpur.
- 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Voting in the remaining 105 constituencies will be held from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
These include major seats like Tej Pratap Yadav’s Mahua, Maithili Thakur’s Alinagar, and Khesari Lal Yadav’s Chhapra, along with Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha’s constituency.
Bihar Elections Phase 1 LIVE: 21 of the State’s 243 constituencies go to the polls today. RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan’s CM face Tejashwi Yadav, BJP leaders and Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary & Vijay Kumar Sinha, and several top leaders are in fray in this phase.