Bihar goes to the polls on Thursday in the first phase of its keenly watched Assembly elections, with voting to take place across 121 constituencies in 18 districts. More than 7.4 crore voters, including around 14 lakh first-time voters, are eligible to cast their ballots as the state embarks on a two-phase election to decide the fate of 243 Assembly seats. Polling will be held in two phases on 6 and 11 November, while counting of votes for all constituencies is scheduled for 14 November.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) faces a strong challenge from the opposition Mahagathbandhan, while the Jan Suraaj Party, led by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, enters the fray for the first time, adding a fresh dimension to the contest.
This first phase features 1,314 candidates, including several heavyweight leaders and key ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet, with 16 ministers seeking re-election.
Among the most closely watched contests is Raghopur in Vaishali district, where RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is aiming for a hat-trick of victories. He once again faces BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav, whom he defeated in both 2015 and 2020, in a seat long regarded as a family bastion.
Tejashwi’s elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, expelled from the RJD, is contesting from Mahua on a Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) ticket. He faces RJD’s sitting MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan, making it a prestige battle within the Yadav family.
In Darbhanga’s Alinagar, folk singer Maithili Thakur, who recently joined the BJP, has drawn attention with her debut candidature. Her remarks during the campaign and the debate over her being an “outsider” have sparked discussions among voters. She is contesting against RJD’s Binod Mishra and Jan Suraaj’s Biplab Chaudhary.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary returns to Tarapur in Munger after 15 years, facing RJD’s Arun Shah, while fellow Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha is seeking a fourth consecutive win from Lakhisarai, where he faces Jan Suraaj’s Suraj Kumar and Congress’s Amresh Kumar.
In Mokama, strongman Anant Singh, known as “Chhote Sarkar”, is back in the fray on a JD(U) ticket. The seat, long associated with him, is witnessing a high-profile contest against Veena Devi, wife of his rival Surajbhan Singh.
Film star Khesari Lal Yadav, contesting on an RJD ticket from Chhapra, is taking on BJP’s Chhoti Kumari and Jan Suraaj’s Jai Prakash Singh in a triangular battle in what has traditionally been a BJP stronghold.
In Siwan’s Raghunathpur, Osama Shahab, son of late gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, is making his electoral debut on an RJD ticket, pitted against JD(U)’s Vikas Kumar Singh and Jan Suraaj’s Rahul Kirti.
The Patna Sahib constituency will also be under the spotlight, with the BJP replacing veteran leader Nand Kishore Yadav with newcomer Ratnesh Kushwaha, who faces Congress’s Shashant Shekhar.
Polling will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., though timings will be curtailed to 5 p.m. in certain areas due to security concerns. These include Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Mahishi, Tarapur, Munger, Jamalpur, and 56 polling booths in Suryagarha.
