Bihar votes in first phase: Polling begins for 121 assembly seats

Bihar awoke to a crisp November morning shimmering with anticipation as voting began on Thursday, 6 November, for 121 assembly seats in the first phase of what many are calling a make-or-break election.

Under tight security arrangements, the polling commenced at 7 am, with voters queuing up at 45,341 booths spread across the state — most of them nestled in its rural heartland. The ballot boxes will close at 5 pm, by which time over 3.75 crore electors are expected to have decided the fate of 1,314 candidates, among them some of Bihar’s most prominent political heavyweights.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav made an impassioned appeal to voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers, saying the “future destiny of Bihar” would be determined by the single button they press.

“Today is an important day for voting. The future of Bihar will be shaped by the decision you make. It is essential for everyone to vote in the interest of democracy, the Constitution, and humanity,” Yadav said in an appeal posted on X.

He urged people from all walks of life — first-time Gen-Z voters, mothers and sisters, farmers, traders, students preparing for jobs, migrants living outside the state, and patients and their families — to participate in the electoral process “under all circumstances”.

“Bihar’s condition will become prosperous only when all of you exercise your vote,” Yadav said, calling the ballot the foundation of progress and social change.

Emphasising the transformative power of voting, he added, “Your exercise of the vote will create the right opportunity for Bihar’s progress. Therefore, remember to definitely vote for Bihar’s bright future.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people to participate in what he described as a celebration of democracy. “Today marks the first phase of the festival of democracy in Bihar,” he wrote on X, urging electors to vote “with full enthusiasm”. In a characteristically light-hearted touch, he congratulated first-time voters, reminding them: “First vote, then refreshments!”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh echoed the sentiment, appealing to voters to exercise their franchise and saluting the young citizens taking their first step into India’s democratic fold.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the ruling BJP–JD(U) government in Bihar of misleading the public with “false promises of development” while failing to deliver on the ground.

“The BJP–JD(U) government has shown false dreams of development to Bihar but never worked on the ground,” Gandhi said at an election rally, alleging that the state’s real issues — unemployment, education, and healthcare — had been ignored.

He urged voters to “see through the propaganda” and support the INDIA bloc’s vision for inclusive growth and social justice.

At the heart of this political carnival are two figures who embody the fierce polarity of Bihar’s politics: Tejashwi Yadav, the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial face, seeking a third consecutive victory from Raghopur, and deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary of the BJP, making a high-stakes return to direct electoral battle from Tarapur after a decade.

In Raghopur, Yadav faces BJP’s Satish Kumar, the man who once defeated his mother, Rabri Devi, in 2010. Across the plains of Tarapur, Choudhary squares off against RJD’s Arun Kumar Sah, who fell short in 2020 by a slender margin of 5,000 votes.

Another key figure in this electoral theatre, deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, is defending his Lakhisarai bastion, seeking a fourth term against Congress’s Amresh Kumar and Jan Suraaj Party’s Suraj Kumar — neither considered formidable, yet both emblematic of the emerging third front.

The contest in Siwan holds its own drama, as BJP stalwart Mangal Pandey, a minister and former state party president, steps into his first-ever assembly election. He faces Awadh Bihari Chaudhary of the RJD, a seasoned legislator and former Speaker known for his deep roots in the region.

Nearby, in Raghunathpur, the buzz is all about Osama Shahab, the 31-year-old son of the late don-turned-politician Mohd Shahabuddin, once the unchallenged “uncrowned king” of Siwan. His entry has reignited fierce rhetoric, with BJP leaders seizing on his name as a symbol of the RJD’s alleged return to “jungle raj.”

The battlefield of Mokama too brims with intrigue — JD(U)’s Anant Singh, currently in jail for a murder case, remains in the fray against RJD’s Veena Devi, wife of another strongman, Suraj Bhan. The clash has come to epitomize Bihar’s uneasy coexistence of politics and power.

In Mahua, the electoral spectacle takes a familial turn: Tej Pratap Yadav, estranged elder brother of Tejashwi and now leader of his own outfit, Janshakti Janata Dal, challenges his former party, hoping to wrest the seat from RJD MLA Mukesh Raushan. The contest, already crowded with Sanjay Singh of LJP (Ram Vilas) and Independent Ashma Parveen, promises a dramatic four-way showdown.

Adding a cultural flourish to the political tableau are celebrity candidates whose popularity transcends party lines — Maithili Thakur, the young folk singer contesting from Aliganj on a BJP ticket; Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav, representing the RJD in Chhapra; and Ritesh Pandey, another Bhojpuri icon, entering the fray from Kargahar under the banner of the Jan Suraaj Party.

The stakes are equally high for a dozen ministers in the fray — among them BJP’s Nitin Nabin (Bankipur), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), Jibesh Kumar (Jale), and Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani) — all defending their turf. From the JD(U), Shrawan Kumar (Nalanda) and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (Sarairanjan) face the electorate’s verdict.

As the day unfolds and indelible ink marks fingers across Bihar, the air hums with both hope and heat. In the cacophony of slogans and the quiet dignity of ballots being cast, the state once again embraces the defining rhythm of Indian democracy — where old loyalties are tested, new aspirations awaken, and every vote carries the weight of tomorrow.

With PTI inputs