Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | At 64.66%, Bihar phase 1 poll turnout highest-ever

Patna: Barring a few minor skirmishes, polling for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections in 121 of 243 constituencies remained by and large peaceful.

At 8.15 pm, according to the Election Commission, the voter turnout recorded was 64.66%, which surpassed the cumulative turnout for a Bihar Assembly election since 1951-52 polls. This figure would further increase as 1,570 presiding officers are yet to update the figures on ECINet.

The previous highest of 62.57% was in 2000 for the entire Assembly polls. The lowest was in 1951-52 when 42.6% was the turnout. For Lok Sabha polls, the highest was 64.6% in 1998 while the lowest was 40.35% in 1951-52.

Those who voted included Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, former CMs Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, Mahagatbandhan CM face Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar’s Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and popular teacher-cum-youtuber Khan Sir.

Incidentally, all three top guns – Nitish, Lalu and Rabri - are not contesting the Assembly polls for different reasons. While Nitish and Rabri are members of the Legislative Council, Lalu has been debarred from contesting any poll following his conviction in the fodder scam.

Nitish, who was one of the early voters today, went to Bakhtiyarpur, 50 km from Patna, to cast his vote, while Lalu and his family, including his daughters, exercised their franchise here in the state capital.

The first phase of voting, which began at 7 am on Thursday and ended at 6 pm, saw the highest polling percentage in Begusarai, while Sheikhpura recorded the lowest.

Bihar is the first state in the country where elections are being held after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls was carried out earlier this year and its voters’ numbers came down from 7.9 crore to 7.4 crore, post-SIR.

In a few constituencies, voters complained that their names had been struck off the electoral rolls.

Meanwhile, reports pouring in from Lakhisarai said the convoy of another Deputy CM and senior BJP leader Vijay Sinha was attacked by some unidentified miscreants who also raised ‘murdabad’ slogan against him when he visited his constituency Lakhisarai in the central Bihar.

The RJD, however, brushed aside the charges.

Meanwhile, reports pouring in from Lakhisarai said the convoy of another Deputy CM and senior BJP leader Vijay Sinha was attacked by some unidentified miscreants who also raised ‘murdabad’ slogan against him when he visited his constituency Lakhisarai in the central Bihar.

The RJD, however, brushed aside the charges. “Vijay Sinha himself orchestrates such attacks so that his vote share is increased,” averred RJD nominee from adjoining Mokama, Veena Devi.

With today’s polls, the fate of Tejashwi Yadav (from Raghopur), his estranged brother Tej Pratap (Mahua), Bihar’s Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Sinha (Lakhisarai), folk singer Maithili Thakur (Alinagar), don-turned-politician Anant Singh (Mokama) and former Bahubali late Shahabuddin’s son Osama (Raghunathpur) has been
sealed.

Now that the first phase of the poll is over, the second and last phase of election will be conducted on November 11. Counting of votes for all the 243 seats is slated for November 14.  

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar congratulated the electors for the historic voter turn out and thanked the electors for expressing their complete faith in the EC and turning out to vote in such large numbers with fervour and enthusiasm. 

An EC official said Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi kept a close watch on the polling through live-webcasting which has been ensured in 100% of the polling stations for the first time in
Bihar.  

Kumar personally engaged with the presiding officers and District Electoral Officers from the Control Room in EC to ensure that the polling progressed smoothly.  

“In another first in Bihar, as part of the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP), 16 delegates from six countries namely, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Belgium and Colombia witnessed the poll proceedings. The delegates commended the Bihar elections for being internationally, one of the most well-organised, transparent, efficient and participative elections,” the
EC said.

(With inputs from Shemin Joy in Delhi)

Highlights

• Begusarai clocks highest turnout, Sheikhpura records the lowest

• In a few constituencies, voters complain about missing names

• Deputy CM Vijay Sinha complains that his convoy of attacked by miscreants

• RJD claims Sinha himself orchestrated attacks so get votes