Finance
Bihar election 2025: Bihar’s 121 out of 243 assembly constituencies voted today in the first phase of the 2025 state assembly election, in a crucial triangular contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) led-National Democratic Alliance, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Indian National Congress-led Mahagathbandhan (or Grand Alliance), and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party. Polling commenced at 7 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m.
Bihar recorded an overall voter turnout of 64.4% in the first phase of polling, data from the Election Commission showed. Among the districts, Begusarai registered the highest turnout at 67.32%, while Sheikhpura recorded the lowest at 52.36% till 5pm.
Several key candidates fielded by both — the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan — are set to face the voters in high-stakes contests across the state. These candidates include BJP leader and Bihar’s deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary fighting from Tarapur, Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav fighting from Raghopur, Tejashwi’s brother Tej Pratap fighting from Mahua on the ticket of his own outfit Janshakti Janata Dal, BJP’s Maithili Thakur fighting from Alinagar, and JD(U)’s Anant Singh fighting from Mokama, who is currently in jail in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav.
Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is also making its electoral debut in this assembly election, resulting in a three-way race.
Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD is hoping to extend his winning record in the Raghopur constituency, where he faces BJP candidate Satish Kumar, who defeated Yadav’s mother Rabri Devi in 2010 when running under the JD(U) flag.
Which districts are voting today?
Some 3.75 crore voters determined the fate of 1,314 candidates contesting across the 121 constituencies in 18 districts of Bihar on Thursday. Among the eighteen districts that voted during the first phase are Patna, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Saharsa, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Buxar, and Bhojpur.
About the major alliances/major competitors
National Democratic Alliance – Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the Bharatiya Janata Party, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha are all members of the state’s current ruling National Democratic Alliance.
Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) -The opposition Mahagathbandhan is comprised of up of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan.
Jan Suraaj Party – Political analyst Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is poised to make its political debut in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, fielding candidates for all 243 seats.
Source: HT
