Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday appealed to the people of Bihar to turn out in large numbers to vote in the first phase of the Assembly elections, urging them to do so “in the interest of democracy, the Constitution, and humanity.”
In a video message shared hours before polling began, Tejashwi addressed a wide cross-section of voters, from Gen Z casting their first ballots to farmers, traders, women, students, migrants, and patients, calling on them to fulfil their democratic duty. “My salutations to all the fate-makers of Bihar. Today is an important day for voting. The future destiny of Bihar will be determined by the single button you press. It is very essential for you to vote in the interest of democracy, the constitution, and humanity,” he said.
I want to appeal to all voters, especially the GEN-Z exercising their vote for the first time, to mothers and sisters, to traders, to farmers, to migrants living in other states, to every common citizen, to every student preparing for a job through coaching, to every patient undergoing treatment for their illnesses and their families, and to every eligible voter in Bihar, that you must vote, you must vote in all circumstances. Bihar's condition will be prosperous only when all of you exercise your vote. Your exercise of the vote will create the right opportunity for Bihar's progress. Therefore, remember to definitely exercise your vote for Bihar's bright future. Vote first, remember All other work later," added Yadav.
Tejashwi, who is contesting from Raghopur in Vaishali district, is seeking a third consecutive victory from a seat long regarded as a Yadav family stronghold. He faces BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav once again, a rival he defeated in both 2015 and 2020.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), polling in this first phase covers 121 constituencies across 18 districts. Out of the 1,314 candidates in the fray, 122 are women and 1,192 are men. A total of 3.75 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots today, including 1.98 crore men, 1.76 crore women, and 758 third-gender voters.
The ECI data also shows that the electorate includes 7.37 lakh voters aged 18–19 and 6,736 centenarians. Polling is being conducted at 45,341 stations, of which 36,733 are in rural areas and 8,608 in urban centres. Among these, 320 are model polling stations, 926 are managed entirely by women, and 107 are run by persons with disabilities.
Voting began at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m., though timings will close an hour earlier in a few constituencies due to security considerations. The remaining 122 constituencies will go to the polls in the second phase on 11 November, with counting scheduled for 14 November.
