The electoral process for the crucial Bihar Assembly Elections has commenced with the first phase of voting today, November 6. Polling is taking place across 121 seats in 18 districts, where the political destiny of 1,314 candidates will be sealed by over 3.7 crore eligible voters.
The voting, which began at 7 am on Thursday, is witnessing intense battles involving several high-profile political figures from both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Mahagathbandhan (INDIA bloc).
Key Contestants and Constituencies in Phase 1
The first phase is a pivotal test for several political heavyweights, with key contests drawing national attention:
- Tejashwi Yadav (RJD): The Chief Ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan is seeking a hat-trick win from the Raghopur constituency in Vaishali district. This seat holds significant history for his family, as it was previously represented by his parents, former Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi. Yadav faces a stiff challenge from the BJP’s Satish Kumar, who had previously defeated Rabri Devi in 2010 while contesting on a JD(U) ticket, as well as Chanchal Singh of the Jan Suraaj Party.
- Samrat Chaudhary (BJP): Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister and a prominent BJP leader is returning to the electoral fray after 15 years, contesting from his home constituency, Tarapur. Chaudhary, who also serves as the chief of the BJP’s Bihar unit since 2023, is locked in a battle against the RJD’s Arun Shah. Shah had previously contested the 2021 by-elections from the same seat, losing by a narrow margin. Chaudhary’s political legacy is strong, as his father, Shakuni Chaudhary, was a six-time MLA from Tarapur since 1985.
- Vijay Kumar Sinha (BJP): The other Deputy Chief Minister is contesting from Lakhisarai, seeking a fourth consecutive term.
- Maithili Thakur (BJP): Folk singer and new entrant to Bihar politics, 25-year-old Maithili Thakur, is contesting on a BJP ticket from Alinagar in Darbhanga district. Thakur is one of the most talked-about candidates, though she faces criticism for being an “outsider” in the constituency as her roots lie in the adjoining district of Madhubani, and she has been based in Delhi. The BJP is hoping to leverage her strong cultural connection with the local Maithili dialect.
- Tej Pratap Yadav (JJD): Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son and former Bihar minister, Tej Pratap Yadav, is contesting from Mahua. Having been expelled from the RJD earlier in the year, he is now challenging his former party’s sitting MLA, Mukesh Kumar Raushan, as an independent candidate under his new outfit, Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), in a multi-cornered contest that also includes LJP’s Sanjay Singh and Independent Ashma Parveen.
- Mangal Pandey (BJP): A Bihar Minister and former chief of the BJP’s state unit, Mangal Pandey is making his first assembly poll debut from Siwan, having been an MLC since 2012.
- Anant Singh (JD(U)): The strongman politician is back in the fray in a high-tension contest from Mokama, a seat he has won multiple times under different affiliations.
The first phase is a significant indicator of the mood of the electorate, setting the tone for the remainder of the elections and putting the prestige of numerous key political families and party stalwarts on the line.