Patna, Nov 6: Voting began on Thursday morning for 121 seats in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, with strict security measures in place, officials said. Polling started at 7 am and will continue until 5 pm.
A total of 3.75 crore voters will choose among 1,314 candidates, including prominent leaders such as RJD chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav and BJP Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to participate enthusiastically, writing on X: “Today marks the first phase of the celebration of democracy in Bihar. I urge all voters to cast their votes with full enthusiasm. Special congratulations to young voters casting their first vote first vote, then refreshments!”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also highlighted the significance of this “celebration of democracy” and congratulated first-time voters. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav called voting “crucial for democracy, the Constitution, and humanity.”
Key Contests to Watch:
Raghopur: Tejashwi Yadav seeks a hat-trick, facing BJP’s Satish Kumar, who defeated his mother, Rabri Devi, in 2010.
Tarapur: Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary faces RJD’s Arun Kumar Sah in a high-stakes direct election after a decade.
Lakhisarai: Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha hopes to retain the seat for a fourth term.
Siwan: BJP minister Mangal Pandey battles RJD’s Awadh Bihari Chaudhary in his first assembly contest.
Raghunathpur: Osama Shahab, son of late gangster-politician Mohd Shahabuddin, contests amid controversy.
Mokama: JD(U)’s jailed Anant Singh faces RJD’s Veena Devi in a straight fight.
Mahua: Tej Pratap Yadav contests against RJD’s Mukesh Raushan in a multi-cornered battle.
Other notable candidates include young folk singer Maithili Thakur (BJP-Aliganj), Bhojpuri superstars Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD-Chhapra), and Ritesh Pandey (Jan Suraaj Party-Kargahar).
Over a dozen ministers are in the fray, defending their seats, including BJP leaders Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Jibesh Kumar (Jale), Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani), and JD(U) leaders Shrawan Kumar (Nalanda) and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (Sarairanjan).
Polling is being held at 45,341 polling stations, with the majority (36,733) located in rural areas.