NEW DELHI: Bihar recorded a voter turnout of 60.13 per cent in the first phase of the Assembly elections, as of 5:00 PM, according to data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Among the 18 districts that went to polls, Begusarai registered the highest turnout at 67.32 per cent, followed by Samastipur (66.65%), Madhepura (65.74%), Gopalganj (64.96%), and Muzaffarpur (64.63%). On the other hand, Sheikhpura recorded the lowest voter turnout among these districts, at 52.36 per cent.
At the assembly constituency level, Minapur witnessed the highest polling with 73.29 per cent, followed by Kalyanpur at 71.62 per cent. Conversely, Digha recorded the lowest turnout with 39.10 per cent, closely followed by Kumhrar at 39.53 per cent.
Voting for the first phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections concluded today at 6 PM, though polling hours were curtailed to 5 PM in some constituencies due to security concerns. In this phase, 121 constituencies across 18 districts went to polls. The remaining 122 constituencies are scheduled to vote in the second phase on November 11, while counting of votes will take place on November 14.
Among key constituencies, Raghopur recorded 64.01 per cent turnout, Mahua 54.88 per cent, Alinagar 58.05 per cent, Tarapur 58.33 per cent, Lakhisarai 60.51 per cent, Chapra 56.32 per cent, Bankipur 40 per cent, Phulwari 62.14 per cent, Raghunathpur 51.18 per cent, Siwan 57.38 per cent, and Mokama 62.16 per cent.
This phase is particularly significant as it will decide the political fate of several prominent leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Mangal Pandey, and JD(U) leaders Shravan Kumar and Vijay Kumar Choudhary. Tej Pratap Yadav is also contesting in this phase.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday directed the Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) to initiate immediate action following reports that supporters of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had surrounded the convoy of BJP candidate Vijay Kumar Sinha in Khoriari village, allegedly pelting stones and cow dung while raising slogans of “Murdabad.”
The ECI emphasized that no individual or group will be permitted to take the law into their own hands, and warned that strict measures would be taken against any miscreants. The CEC instructed the Bihar DGP to ensure swift action and urged all voters to cast their votes fearlessly at their respective polling stations.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP candidate from Lakhisarai, Vijay Kumar Sinha’s car was attacked by a mob, which hurled slippers and chanted “Murdabad” slogans. Speaking to the media, Sinha alleged, “These are the goons of the RJD. Since the NDA is coming to power, they are desperate. The goons are preventing me from visiting the village. Vijay Sinha is going to win… They even turned away my polling agent and didn’t allow him to vote. This is their hooliganism — the incident occurred at booth numbers 404 and 405 in Khoriari village.”
He further stated that his convoy was surrounded by RJD supporters, who pelted stones and cow dung, shouting “Murdabad” as he toured his constituency. Following the incident, the Deputy CM immediately spoke to the Superintendent of Police (SP), and security forces were deployed to the location.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, polling was conducted in three phases. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 125 seats, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan (MGB) won 110 seats. Among the major parties, the Janata Dal (United) bagged 43 seats, and the Congress won 19 seats. The JD(U) had contested 115 constituencies and the BJP 110, while the RJD contested 144 seats and the Congress 70.
