Bihar Elections 2025 LIVE: Phase 1 Voting Concludes With Record Turnout
Bihar Election 2025 Phase 1 Voting LIVE: Tejashwi Yadav seeks a third consecutive win from Raghopur. In Mahua, Tej Pratap Yadav is in a multi-cornered battle to reclaim the seat.
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Background
Bihar Election 2025 Phase 1 Voting LIVE: Bihar Goes to Polls in first Phase on Thursday, With 3.75 crore voters deciding fate of 1,314 candidates across 121 seats. This round of polling will be crucial in determining whether the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, in power for two decades, retains its hold. Key contestants include RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Mangal Pandey, JD(U)’s Shravan Kumar and Vijay Kumar Choudhary, and Tej Pratap Yadav, who has floated his own party.
Authorities have put in place comprehensive security arrangements to ensure voting remains free and peaceful. Polling will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with early closing at 5 p.m. in select areas including Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Mahishi, Tarapur, Munger, Jamalpur, and 56 booths in Suryagarha.
Opposition Campaign Focuses on Employment
The Opposition has centred its campaign on the slogan: “Generate employment, stop migration”, highlighting the state’s long-standing issue of outward migration. According to the 2011 Census, 74.54 lakh migrants from Bihar are spread across India. Opposition leaders have criticised the BJP, alleging that it has artificially stoked fears of anti-Bihari sentiment elsewhere in the country for short-term political gains. While the creation of local jobs and infrastructure is vital, migration remains an integral aspect of human development, and there is nothing inherently negative about it.
NDA Campaign Focuses on Jobs & Infra
The NDA centred its campaign on promises of job creation, improved infrastructure, and expanded schemes for farmers, positioning itself as the party of development and growth. Leaders have highlighted initiatives aimed at building roads, enhancing electricity and water supply, and providing financial and technical support to the agricultural sector. The alliance argues that these measures will generate local employment, boost economic activity, and improve the quality of life in both rural and urban areas. The NDA maintains that its governance record demonstrates a commitment to sustainable development and inclusive progress.
Bihar 2020 Assembly Results
Looking back at the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the state witnessed a distinct political shift.The BJP strengthened its position, winning 74 seats, while the JD(U) declined sharply to 43, marking Nitish Kumar’s weakest showing in years. Meanwhile, the RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav, emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats, signalling a generational change in opposition leadership and setting the stage for a highly competitive electoral battle in subsequent polls.
Bihar Elections 2025: 143 Complaints Received, All Resolved On Time, Says CEO
Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Gunjyal confirmed that the first phase of the Assembly elections concluded smoothly, with polling marked by peace and order across constituencies.
“By the end of voting, a total of 143 complaints were received. All of them were addressed promptly,” Gunjyal said, adding that every grievance reported through direct phone calls was also resolved on time.
He noted that reports of voting boycotts had surfaced from a few polling stations — including booth number 56 in Brahmapur constituency (Buxar district), booths 165 and 166 in Fatuha, and booths 1, 2, and 5 in Suryagarha near Lakhisarai. However, officials swiftly took note of these incidents and ensured that the situation remained under control.
“No untoward incidents have been reported in the first phase of polling that concluded today. Voting was conducted peacefully and smoothly,” the Chief Electoral Officer reiterated.
165 Ballot Units, 480 VVPATs Replaced During Polling: CEO
"During the voting, 165 ballot units, 169 control units, and 480 VVPATs were replaced," he said.
"And this time, we had to replace only 1.21 per cent of the ballot units in the first phase, while in the 2020 Assembly elections, only 1.87 per cent of the EVMs were replaced... This means that we needed to replace fewer EVMs this time," the CEO added.
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