Saharsa leads Phase 1 polling with 15.27 per cent turnout, while Lakhisarai records the lowest at 7 per cent.
Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha seeks a fifth term in Lakhisarai; Saharsa witnesses a high-stakes triangular contest.
Voting underway across 121 constituencies, including Naxal-affected Bhim Bandh, with tight security measures in place.
Bihar Deputy CM Seat Lakhisarai Sees Lowest Early Turnout At 7%, While Saharsa Leads
Bihar’s first phase of Assembly polling began on a cautious note on Monday, with early turnout figures revealing a stark contrast between constituencies. Saharsa reported the highest participation at 15.27
Summary
Lakhisarai reported the lowest turnout so far at 7 per cent after four hours of voting, while Saharsa posted the highest at 15.27 per cent, according to early figures from the Election Commission of India.
Lakhisarai, represented since 2005 by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, remains a key battleground. Sinha, who secured the seat for the BJP in 2020 with about 74,212 votes, by defeating Congress’ Amresh Kumar by roughly 10,500, is seeking a fifth consecutive term. Amresh Kumar is again contesting, alongside new candidates including Suraj Kumar of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party. The constituency has been a BJP stronghold across the last three Assembly polls.
In Saharsa, part of the Madhepura Lok Sabha segment, BJP’s Alok Ranjan Jha has won twice — in 2020 and 2010 — and is vying for another term. The seat went to the RJD in 2015 when Arun Kumar Yadav prevailed. Jha, a former state minister for Art, Culture and Youth, faces a triangular contest against Indrajeet Prasad Gupta of the Indian Inclusive Party, a Mahagathbandhan constituent, and JSP candidate Kishor Kumar.
Voting took place in the Naxal-affected Bhim Bandh region for the first time in two decades. By 9am, overall turnout in Phase 1 stood at 13.13 per cent.
Saharsa topped district-wise participation at 15.27 per cent, followed by Muzaffarpur (14.38 per cent), Vaishali (14.30 per cent), Begusarai (14.60 per cent) and Khagaria (14.15 per cent). Patna recorded 11.22 per cent, while other districts reported between 12 per cent and 14 per cent.
Polling began at 7am across 121 constituencies in 18 districts — nearly half of Bihar’s 243 seats — with an estimated 37.5 million voters eligible. Voting will close at 6pm, though timings have been shortened to 5pm in several sensitive areas. Security has been tightened across all locations.
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