Bihar’s first phase of Assembly elections recorded 42.31% voter turnout by 1 p.m. across 121 constituencies. Gopalganj led with 46.73%, while Patna remained lowest at 37.72%, as 3.75 crore voters decided the fate of 1,314 candidates, including Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary.
The day saw sharp exchanges between political rivals — Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of “vote theft” and economic failure, while PM Modi, Amit Shah, and Yogi Adityanath campaigned vigorously for the NDA, targeting the Opposition over crime and governance. Lalu Prasad Yadav called for a “youth government” led by Tejashwi, and Tej Pratap Yadav hinted at post-poll alliances.
The Election Commission dismissed allegations of faulty EVMs and said voting was proceeding smoothly. However, RJD claimed police intimidation in Samastipur, while Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged stone-pelting by RJD supporters. Despite sporadic incidents, polling continued across 45,341 stations in a largely peaceful manner.
Voting began at 7 am, with around 3.75 crore voters deciding the fate of 1,314 candidates, including the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary of the BJP. Earlier, turnout at 11 am stood at 27.65 per cent, and voters in areas like Danapur Diara used boats to reach polling stations.
After casting his vote, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav urged citizens to back change. On X, he wrote: “The roti should keep turning on the tawa, otherwise it will burn. Twenty years is too long! For the youth government and a new Bihar, a Tejashwi government is essential.”
The Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar dismissed Congress’s allegation of faulty EVMs in ten districts, assuring that voting was proceeding smoothly across all constituencies.
After his vote theft allegations in Delhi on Wednesday, a day later the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi campaigned in Purnia and Araria, which will vote in the second phase on 11 November. He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “cheap data” remark, arguing that while youth spent time on Instagram Reels, they lacked employment opportunities. Gandhi also reiterated his claim of vote irregularities in Haryana, highlighting alleged duplicate entries and foreign voters.
Gandhi questioned Bihar’s economic stagnation and migration trends: “Wherever I go in India, I see people from Bihar building cities like Dubai and Bengaluru. If you can build those places, why can’t Bihar be like that?”
Campaigning for the second phase, Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed confidence in NDA’s prospects, targeting the Opposition over crime, infrastructure, and governance. In Araria, Modi said the government was working “with complete honesty” to identify and deport infiltrators, while in Bhagalpur he accused Congress and RJD of insulting faith. Amit Shah claimed NDA would secure a decisive majority in Bihar.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged that RJD supporters hurled stones and cow dung at him, threatening his polling agent and obstructing voters. “These are RJD goons… They are not letting voters come out,” he told ANI.
Voter Turnout by 1 pm
Madhepura – 44.36 per cent
Saharsa – 44.20 per cent
Darbhanga – 39.35 per cent
Muzaffarpur – 45.41 per cent
Gopalganj – 46.73 per cent
Siwan – 41.20 per cent
Saran – 43.06 per cent
Vaishali – 42.40 per cent
Samastipur – 43.03 per cent
Begusarai – 46.02 per cent
Khagaria – 42.94 per cent
Munger – 41.47 per cent
Lakhisarai – 46.37 per cent
Sheikhpura – 41.23 per cent
Nalanda – 41.87 per cent
Patna – 37.72 per cent
Bhojpur – 41.15 per cent
Buxar – 41.30 per cent
Digha has the largest electorate with approximately 4.58 lakh voters, while Barbigha in Sheikhpura has the smallest at 2.32 lakh. Kurhani and Muzaffarpur host the most candidates (20 each), while Bhorey, Alauli and Parbatta have just five each.
Jan Shakti Janata Dal president and Mahua candidate Tej Pratap Yadav hinted at potential post-poll alliances, stating his support would go to whichever formation delivered employment, reduced migration, and brought change. Invoking the legacies of Lohia and Karpoori Thakur, he said: “If we get the opportunity to become Chief Minister, why would we leave it?”
The Election Commission has established 45,341 polling stations for 3.75 crore voters, including 10.72 lakh first-time electors. The total population of these constituencies is 6.60 crore, meaning nearly three crore residents are not on the electoral roll due to age or other reasons.
The RJD alleged that police personnel beat and intimidated voters at booths 106, 107, and 108 in Mohiuddinagar. In a post on X, the party claimed officers entered homes and “brutally” assaulted voters. (https://x.com/RJDforIndia/status/1986336363416068391)
