Voting began this morning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Election, covering 121 seats across 18 districts. More than 3.75 crore people are eligible to vote in this round, with polling starting at 7 am.
By 9 am, around 13 percent of voters had cast their ballots. The Election Commission has made tight security arrangements, with polling in some sensitive areas ending an hour earlier, at 5 pm.
This phase mainly covers Central Bihar whicj is a region that played a decisive role in the 2020 polls. Back then, the RJD-led alliance had won 63 of these 121 seats, while the NDA took 55.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav have already cast their votes. The ruling NDA is seeking another term, while the opposition bloc led by Tejashwi is campaigning heavily on issues like jobs, education, and better governance.
In Raghopur, Tejashwi Yadav is facing BJP’s Satish Kumar in a three-cornered contest. In Darbhanga’s Alinagar seat, singer Maithili Thakur is contesting on a BJP ticket against RJD veteran Binod Mishra. In Mokama, JD(U)’s strongman Anant Singh faces a tough battle after recent controversies.
Over 10 lakh new voters have been added to the rolls, including nearly 8 lakh first-time voters aged 18–19.
Key issues driving the election include unemployment, corruption, and healthcare. The outcome of this phase will set the tone for the remaining rounds of voting and signal which alliance has the upper hand in the high-stakes Bihar contest.
