Bihar Assembly Elections: First Phase Sees Highest Ever Voter Turnout At 64.66%

Amid stray incidents of violence, including an attack on Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha's vehicle, 64.66 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise till 8.15 pm on Thursday across 121 constituencies in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections.

“The first phase of voting concluded successfully today, there were 45,341 polling booths. Out of these booths, at some places voting is still going on. There were a total of 3,75,00,000 voters, 1,98,00,000 males, and 1,76,00,000 females. Women voted in large numbers,” said Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, Bihar Chief Electoral Officer.

The voter turnout in the first phase of the 2025 polls is highest ever in the history of the state. The last time it had crossed 60 per cent was in 2000 when RJD was voted to power. Then the voter turnout was 62.6 per cent. It was 61.79 per cent in 1995 too when RJD formed the government. And it was 62.04 per cent in 1992 elections.

Begusarai district recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 67.32, followed by Samastipur (66.65) and Madhepura (65.74).

The higher voter turnout is significant given the recent special intensive revision of the state’s electoral rolls. It was an exercise criticised by the opposition as an attempt to remove voters from poor and marginalised communities, who they say largely support them.

The revision resulted in the deletion of 47 lakh names, shrinking the electorate from 7.89 crore to 7.42 crore. While this reduction could mathematically increase the turnout percentage, this would only hold true if the actual number of voters remained consistent.

Voter turnout in the Past

In the second 2005 election, the JD(U) won the most seats with a voter turnout of 45.85 per cent and formed the government with the BJP under the NDA alliance.

In 2010, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), still partnered with the BJP, achieved a strong victory with turnout at 52.73 per cent; the party secured 115 seats. By 2015, Kumar switched to an alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD. Turnout increased to 56.9 per cent, and the coalition came to power.

Five years later in 2020, he returned to the BJP. The alliance won once more, though the JD(U) lost 28 seats. Turnout rose slightly to 57.29 per cent.

This phase carries significant political weight for both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc. In the 121 seats which went to election in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly polls, RJD had won the majority in 2020. It emerged that RJD was the largest party, winning 42 seats, while BJP won 32 and JD(U) secured only 23. Congress won 8 seats, and the Left parties won 11. The 2020 data shows that RJD and BJP together dominated more than half of these seats (a total of 74) in the first phase.

The first phase features prominent candidates, including RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, his brother Tej Pratap Yadav (Janshakti Janata Dal), Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary, and singer-turned-candidate Maithili Thakur. They are among 1,314 candidates in this round.

What happened during the day?

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has renewed his demand for a generational shift in Bihar politics, arguing the state needs a “change of guard” after nearly two decades under the current leadership. He urged voters to support younger leaders for a “new Bihar.”

The RJD has alleged voter intimidation and police misconduct in Mohiuddinnagar and Sarai during Phase 1. It claims officers entered homes and threatened voters at booths 106, 107 and 108 in Mohiuddinnagar. The party also accused officials of blocking boats transporting voters in Danapur and has appealed to the Election Commission for swift intervention.

In a separate incident, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha’s convoy was reportedly attacked in Lakhisarai. Munger DIG Rakesh Kumar told PTI that strict action would be taken, adding the incident had not disrupted the polling process.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP intended to “steal votes” and urged young voters to remain vigilant. At a rally on Thursday, he claimed the party had influenced recent polls elsewhere. He argued it was the responsibility of Bihar’s youth to protect the Constitution and remain alert at polling stations.

Gandhi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of favouring billionaires while leaving young people unemployed. Speaking in Araria, he said Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had imposed a “jungle raj” nationwide through agencies such as the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department, fuelling fear, division and joblessness.

Addressing separate rallies in Sitamarhi and East Champaran, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the NDA of planning to manipulate the current polls “as they did in Haryana”. She alleged that the Election Commission was working with the government to undermine constitutional and democratic rights, claiming 6.5 million names had been removed from Bihar’s voter list.

Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) founder Tej Pratap Yadav said his party would emerge as a “serious political force” as it contests 44 seats. He expressed confidence that voters in Mahua would support him again, saying he had worked for the constituency and had its trust.