Polling was underway at a moderate pace on Thursday across 121 assembly constituencies of Bihar, where 53.77 per cent of 3.75 crore voters had exercised their franchise till 3 pm to decide the fate of over 1,000 candidates, even as Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged that his convoy was attacked by RJD supporters in his home turf Lakhisarai. Stakes are high for both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc in the first phase of the assembly elections, with several key leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and several ministers, in the fray. The ruling NDA, which has been in power in the state for 20 years, except for a few brief interruptions, is banking on its image of "sushasan" (good governance) in contrast to the alleged "jungle raj" that marked the 15 years old rule of the RJD-Congress combine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed rallies in a couple of constituencies going to polls in the second and final phase, felt that the noticeably high number of women turning up to vote was a good sign for the NDA. "Mothers, daughters and sisters have been the worst sufferers of 'jungle raj'. Today, they seem to have put up a fortress around polling booths to prevent the return of 'jungle raj'", Modi had remarked.
The NDA hopes that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s record, along with recent welfare measures such as 125 units of free power, Rs 10,000 cash transfers to over one crore women, and an increase in social security pensions, will help counter anti-incumbency. However, the opposition dismissed the boasts of the BJP-led coalition and hoped that people would vote for a change. RJD president Lalu Prasad, who hopes that his younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav will form the next government, came out with an evocative social media post, drawing the analogy of a "roti". "If a roti is not flipped on a tawa (pan), it gets burnt. Twenty years is a long time. A Tejashwi government is essential to build a new Bihar", Prasad wrote on X. There have also been allegations and counter-allegations from both sides on polling day. Deputy CM Sinha, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term from Lakhisarai, claimed that one of the cars in his convoy was attacked by RJD supporters trying to “intimidate” voters belonging to extremely backward classes. On the other hand, the RJD alleged on its X handle that voting had been "deliberately slowed down" in areas where the INDIA bloc was strongly placed, a charge promptly rejected by the Election Commission. A notable feature of this election has been the presence of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, which the former political strategist believes could emerge as the proverbial dark horse. Kishor has caught public imagination with his promise of making the state "among the top-ranking ones in the country", and to this end, he has not shied away from making a few bold statements, including his public announcement that he intends to scrap the prohibition law, which has been bleeding the state dry. Polling was being held across 18 districts, with Muzaffarpur and Gopalganj reporting turnouts above 58 per cent till 3 pm, while in state capital Patna it was 48.69 per cent. The low turnout in Patna was largely attributed to urban constituencies such as Bankipur (34.80 per cent), Digha (31.89 per cent) and Kumhrar (37.73 per cent), where electors are known to be unenthusiastic.
A total of 42.31 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise till 1 pm in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections on Thursday, an official said. Gopalganj district recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 46.73, followed by Lakhisarai (46.37) and Begusarai (46.02). Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav were among the top leaders who cast their votes in the first phase of the high-stakes assembly polls, seen as a litmus test for the ruling NDA. In a post on X, opposition RJD alleged, "During the voting in the first phase, electricity is being cut off intermittently at the strong booths of the Mahagathbandhan with the intention of slowing down voting. Slow voting is being deliberately caused. Please, the Election Commission, take immediate cognisance of such rigging with 'malicious intent' and 'mala fide intentions' and take prompt action." Chief Electoral Office, however, dismissed the allegations, saying, "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." Voting began at 7 am for 121 seats amid tight security arrangements, an official said, adding it will continue till 5 pm.
A total of 27.65 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise till 11 am in the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections on Thursday, an official said. Begusarai district recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 30.37, followed by Lakhisarai (30.32) and Gopalganj (30.04). Opposition RJD, in an X post, alleged, "During the voting in the first phase, electricity is being cut off intermittently at the strong booths of the Mahagathbandhan with the intention of slowing down the voting. Slow voting is being deliberately caused. Please, the Election Commission, take immediate cognisance of such rigging with 'malicious intent' and 'malafide intentions' and take prompt action." Bihar Chief Electoral Office, however, dismissed the allegations, saying, "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." Senior politicians, including Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, and Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' were among those who cast their votes in the first few hours of voting. Voting began at 7 am for 121 seats amid tight security arrangements, an official said, adding it will continue till 5 pm. In the first phase, a total of 3.75 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates, including top leaders such as Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary of the BJP.
A total of 13.13 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of voting in phase one of the Bihar assembly elections on Thursday, an official Saharsa recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 15.27, followed by Begusarai (14.6) and Muzaffarpur (14.38).
Several senior politicians, including RJD leader and INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav, Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha were among those who cast their votes early.
Giriraj Singh, who cast his vote in Lakhisarai, defended the checking of identity of burqa-clad women, stating it will prevent 'vote chori' (vote theft).
"This is not religious bias…. We are not living in Pakistan. Neither will Bihar have a Tejashwi Yadav government, nor will Sharia law be implemented here," he said.
Tejashwi Yadav, along with his family members, including RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, cast his vote at a booth in Veterinary College in Patna.
"I appeal to the youth to bring a change by installing a new government," Tejashwi Yadav said.
His mother and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, too, appealed to people "to vote and bring a change".
She wished both her sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, success in the elections.
Tejashwi Yadav's sister Rohini Acharya exuded confidence that people will defeat the "double-engine government" this time.
State Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin, who voted along with his wife Deepmala Srivastava at a polling booth in Patna's Digha assembly segment, urged people to exercise their franchise for a developed Bihar.
Sinha and Giriraj Singh cast their votes at respective booths in Lakhisarai, while Lalan Singh exercised his franchise in the state capital Patna.
Singer-turned-politician, RJD's Khesari Lal Yadav, also exercised his franchise at Ekma in Saran district, while BJP leader Bikhu Bhai Dalsania also cast his vote in the early hours.
A politician in Vaishali went to the booth riding a buffalo, while urging people also to cast their votes.
Voting began at 7 am for 121 seats amid tight security arrangements, an official said, adding it will continue till 5 pm.
In the first phase, a total of 3.75 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates, including top leaders such as Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary of the BJP
Several senior politicians, including RJD leader and INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav and Union minister Giriraj Singh, were among those who cast their votes early during the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls on Thursday. Tejashwi Yadav, along with his family members, including RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, cast his vote at a booth in Veterinary College in Patna. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and Union minister Giriraj Singh cast their votes at respective booths in Lakhisarai, while Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' exercised his franchise in the state capital Patna.
State Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin voted along with his wife Deepmala Srivastava at a polling booth in Patna's Digha assembly segment. Singer-turned-politician, RJD's Khesari Lal Yadav, also exercised his franchise at Ekma in Saran district, while BJP leader Bikhu Bhai Dalsania also cast his vote in the early hours. A politician in Vaishali went to the booth riding a buffalo, while urging people also to cast their votes.
Voting began for 121 seats in Bihar in the first phase of assembly elections on Thursday morning, amid tight security arrangements, an official said. The polling commenced at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. In the first phase, a total of 3.75 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates, including top leaders such as INDIA bloc's chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary of the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to electors to cast their votes with full enthusiasm. "Today marks the first phase of the celebration of democracy in Bihar. I urge all voters in this phase of the assembly elections to cast their votes with full enthusiasm," he wrote on X. He also said, "On this occasion, my special congratulations to all my young friends in the state, who are casting their votes for the first time. Remember: first vote, then refreshments!" Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also urged voters to exercise their franchise in the "celebration of democracy" and congratulated the young electors who are casting their votes for the first time. Yadav appealed to voters to participate in the polling process and said, "Voting is crucial for the sake of democracy, the Constitution, and humanity". The RJD candidate aims at a hat-trick in the Raghopur seat, while his principal challenger, Satish Kumar of the BJP, had defeated his mother Rabri Devi in 2010 while contesting on a JD(U) symbol. Choudhary, who is enjoying his second consecutive term in the legislative council, is contesting a direct election after about a decade from Tarapur. The former state BJP president faces a stiff challenge from RJD’s Arun Kumar Sah, who had lost the seat in 2020 by a margin of about 5,000 votes.
The other Deputy CM in the Nitish Kumar government, Vijay Kumar Sinha, will also have his electoral fate decided in the first phase of polls. Sinha hopes to retain Lakhisarai for the fourth consecutive term, surmounting the not-so-formidable challenge provided by Amresh Kumar of the Congress and Suraj Kumar of the Jan Suraaj Party. Mangal Pandey, a minister and a former state BJP president, is contesting from Siwan, the first instance of his fighting an assembly election. Pandey, who has been an MLC since 2012, faces a formidable adversary in RJD’s Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, a former assembly Speaker who has been a several-term MLA from the seat. The neighbouring seat of Raghunathpur is being keenly watched because of Osama Shahab, the 31-year-old son of deceased gangster-turned-politician Mohd Shahabuddin, a several-term MP from Siwan who was known as the “uncrowned king” of the area. Osama’s candidature has been latched onto by the NDA, which cites it as proof that the RJD stood for “return of jungle raj”, and BJP leaders like Himanta Biswa Sarma have even pointed out that the name reminded one of slain terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
One of the most keenly watched contests will be in Mokama, where JD(U)’s Anant Singh, who is in jail in connection with the killing of a Jan Suraaj Party supporter during the election campaign, is locked in a straight battle with RJD’s Veena Devi, married to Suraj Bhan, a gangster. In the Mahua seat, Tejashwi Yadav’s estranged elder brother Tej Pratap, who has floated his own outfit Janshakti Janata Dal, is locked in a multi-cornered contest. The elder son of RJD president Lalu Prasad seeks to wrest the seat from RJD MLA Mukesh Raushan, though the presence of Sanjay Singh, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) candidate who represents the NDA, and Independent Ashma Parveen, the runner-up of 2020, has queered the pitch. Other seats and candidates whose performance will be keenly watched include young folk singer Maithili Thakur (BJP-Aliganj), Bhojpuri superstars Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD-Chhapra) and Ritesh Pandey (Jan Suraaj Party – Kargahar). About a dozen ministers, most of them from the BJP, which has the lion’s share in the cabinet by virtue of its superior strength in the assembly, are in the fray. They are Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Jibesh Kumar (Jale) and Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani), all of whom will be defending their seats. Ministers, belonging to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), whose fate will be decided in the first phase, include Shrawan Kumar (Nalanda) and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (Sarairanjan). Voting will take place at 45,341 polling stations, an overwhelming majority of which (36,733) fall in rural areas.