First phase of Bihar Assembly polls begins; major test for NDA and INDIA bloc
Bihar Assembly Election: Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began early this morning across 121 constituencies in 18 districts, marking the start of a high-stakes political battle that could redefine the state’s leadership.
The phase is crucial for both the NDA and the INDIA bloc, with several key figures, including Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, in the fray.
Over 3.75 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,314 candidates contesting in this phase. Security has been tightened across polling stations, with armed forces deployed to prevent any untoward incidents.
The election features several direct contests:
25 seats witnessing straight fights between the BJP and RJD,
12 seats between Congress and BJP,
34 seats between JD(U) and RJD, and
11 seats where JD(U) faces Congress.
Additionally, 14 constituencies see competition between LJP (Ram Vilas faction) and RJD, including 12 direct face-offs.
From the Raghopur constituency, Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the RJD and chief ministerial face of the INDIA bloc, is contesting. The seat holds historic significance—his father Lalu Prasad Yadav won twice from here, and his mother Rabri Devi thrice; both went on to become Chief Ministers.
Meanwhile, Tej Pratap Yadav, another son of Lalu Prasad, is contesting from the Mahua constituency. Despite earlier differences that led to his temporary ouster from the RJD, Tej Pratap has since rejoined mainstream politics under the Jan Shakti Janata Dal banner.
Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, a senior BJP leader, is contesting from Tarapur, marking his return to electoral politics after a decade. Popular folk singer Mithali Thakur is also in the fray, contesting from Alinagar on a BJP ticket.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to urge voters to participate enthusiastically in this democratic exercise. “Today marks the first phase of Bihar’s democratic festival. I urge all voters to cast their votes with full enthusiasm. My special congratulations to the youth voting for the first time,” he posted.
This first phase is expected to set the tone for the upcoming rounds of polling and could be a decisive indicator of the public mood ahead of the final results.
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