Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: Key Leaders Cast Votes as First Phase Polling Records 27.65% Turnout by Mid-Morning

Bihar Assembly Election: The first phase of voting is underway across Central Bihar's constituencies.

Patna:

The crucial electoral battle for Bihar has commenced, with elections taking place today for half of the state's 243 assembly seats in the first phase of a two-part election. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership, is seeking another term in power.

Here are 10 key developments in the Bihar polls:

Voter participation reached 27.65% by 11 am across the 121 constituencies where voting is in progress. Several prominent leaders have already cast their ballots, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, RJD patriarch Lalu Yadav with his son Tejashwi Yadav, and LJP leader Chirag Paswan. Kumar encouraged citizens on social media to "Vote and inspire others to vote."

Lalu Yadav shared a family photograph displaying their inked fingers with a message: "The roti should keep turning on the tawa, otherwise it will burn. 20 years is too long! Now, for the youth government and the new Bihar, a Tejashwi government is extremely necessary."

Deputy CM Choudhary has expressed confidence that the NDA will secure a decisive majority, while alliance partner Chirag Paswan called for record voter turnout and urged all eligible citizens to exercise their democratic right.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Bihar's voters to participate enthusiastically in the "festival of democracy." He has projected confidence in an unprecedented majority for the NDA coalition in these elections.

The Opposition Grand Alliance is counting on anti-incumbency sentiment and Tejashwi Yadav's ambitious promise of providing one job per household. Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, which emerged as the single largest party in 2020, has conducted an aggressive campaign targeting especially the youth demographic.

The BJP deployed its characteristic high-profile campaign strategy led by Prime Minister Modi and supported by numerous cabinet ministers and BJP chief ministers. Speculation had circulated about 74-year-old Nitish Kumar possibly being sidelined, given his JD(U)'s diminished position relative to the BJP. These rumors were only addressed at the last minute by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda.

The Congress party's campaign appeared subdued compared to its alliance partner RJD. Despite a strong start featuring a joint march by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, the Congress leader was notably absent from campaigning for over two months.

Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has emerged as an unpredictable factor with his Jan Suraaj Party. His entry raises questions about potential fragmentation of non-BJP votes. Kishor has boldly predicted his party will either secure fewer than 10 seats or more than 150, and has ruled out any pre or post-election alliances. Jan Suraaj is contesting all seats and has highlighted corruption and deteriorating public services as key issues.

The election primarily centers on economic concerns – unemployment, migration, corruption, education, and healthcare. Tejashwi Yadav's promise of 1.3 crore government jobs – one for each household – has sharpened campaign focus. The NDA, which has governed Bihar for most of the past two decades, argues that the state lacks sufficient resources to fulfill such a scheme, instead promising 1 crore jobs and initiatives to create 1 crore women "lakhpatis."

Today's voting covers constituencies predominantly in Central Bihar, a region where the Grand Alliance secured 63 of 121 seats in 2020, while the BJP-JDU combination won 55 seats.