Polling for the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections was held on Tuesday across 122 constituencies in 20 districts, marking a decisive moment for both the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan.
By 11 a.m., the voter turnout stood at 31.38 per cent, higher than the first phase at the same time. Voting began early amid tight security, with brisk polling reported from border regions adjoining Nepal, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The contest remains a direct fight between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s NDA and Tejashwi Yadav’s Mahagathbandhan. The BJP is contesting 53 seats, JD(U) 44, LJP (Ram Vilas) 15, HAM(S) six and RLM four. The RJD has fielded 70 candidates, Congress 37, Left parties 11 and VIP seven. In a few seats, allies are facing off due to unresolved seat-sharing disputes.
In the 2020 Assembly polls, the NDA had an edge in these very constituencies, winning 66 of 122 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan secured 49. The NDA’s combined vote share then was around 40 per cent, compared with 36 per cent for the opposition bloc.
A total of 1,302 candidates are contesting in this phase, including 341 facing serious criminal charges. The richest candidate is Ran Kaushal Pratap Singh of the VIP from Lauriya, who declared assets worth ₹369 crore, while Sunil Kumar Choudhary of the BSP from Pirpainti reported none.
The results of this phase will be crucial in determining Bihar’s political direction. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.
