Bihar election 2025 LIVE updates: Begusarai had the highest turnout at 67.32%, while Sheikhpura recorded the lowest at 52.36% till 5pm.
Voters wait in queues to cast their votes for the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections, in Patna on Thursday.
Bihar election 2025 LIVE: Bihar’s 121 out of the total 243 assembly constituencies voted today in the first phase of 2025 state assembly election in a crucial triangular contest between 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 started at 7 am and concluded at 6pm.
As of 5:00 pm, Bihar recorded an overall voter turnout of 60.13% 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 with this assembly election, making it a three-way fight.
RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav is aiming to continue his winning streak in the Raghopur constituency, where he is up against BJP’s Satish Kumar, who had defeated Yadav’s mother Rabri Devi from the seat in 2010 while he contesting on a JD(U) symbol.
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.
How many voters to vote today?
As many as 3.75 crore voters were eligible to vote during the first phase of 2025 Bihar assembly polls across the 121 constituencies. The voting happened in as many as 45,341 polling stations, out of which 36,733 are in rural areas. Among the 3.75 crore voters, 10.72 lakh were ‘new electors’.
About the major alliances/major competitors
National Democratic Alliance – The National Democratic Alliance, which is currently in power in the state, includes Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), 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.
Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) – The opposition Mahagathbandhan consists 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 Party.
Jan Suraaj Party – Political analyst Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party is set to mark its political debut with the 2025 Bihar assembly polls, and has fielded candidates in all 243 seats.
Key facts about the Bihar assembly polls phase 1
-Out of the total 1,314 candidates facing polls today, 122 were female and 1192 male.
-Out of the total 3,75,13, 302 voters eligible to vote, 1,98,35,325 were male, 1,76,77,219, female and 758 third gender.
-Out of the total 45,341 polling stations, 36,733 were in rural, 8,608 in urban, 320 model polling stations, 926 all-women-managed polling stations and 107 were polling stations managed by people with disabilities.
