The high-stakes assembly elections in Bihar kicked off on Thursday with the first phase recording a provisional turnout till 6pm of 64.66%, a figure the Election Commission of India described as the “highest ever” in the eastern state.
Polling for the 121 seats across 18 districts was largely peaceful but also saw sporadic incidents of violence and allegations of irregularities by the Opposition. The next phase of the elections, where 122 seats go to the polls, is on November 11 and the counting of votes is on November 14.
“The first phase of the Bihar legislative assembly elections concluded peacefully in a festive mood today with the highest ever voter turnout of 64.66% in the history of Bihar,” said an ECI statement.
The poll panel also released statistics that showed that the previous highs for the assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Bihar were recorded in 2000 (62.57%) and 1998 (64.6%). To be sure, these figures were for the full election and not a provisional turnout number for one particular phase.
“Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar congratulates the electors of Bihar for the historic voter turnout in Phase I of assembly elections since 1951,” said a statement by the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), Bihar.
The turnout number comes against the backdrop of the controversial special intensive revision of numbers in Bihar earlier this year, when roughly 6.9 million names were deleted from the rolls and 2.15 million names were added. The exercise, which was championed by ECI but sharply criticised by the Opposition, trimmed the electoral roll of Bihar from 78.9 million people to 74.2 million.
But an analysis of numbers by HT also showed that the absolute number of voters who cast their franchise on Thursday might end up being higher than the number of voters in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls or the 2020 assembly elections.
“He also thanked the electors for expressing their complete faith in the Election Commission of India and turning out to vote in such large numbers with fervour and enthusiasm. He also thanked the entire election machinery for working with full transparency and dedication,” said the EC statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the polling.
“In the first phase of voting in the Bihar assembly elections, the NDA has gained a massive lead. Along with this, its wave is visible everywhere in the second phase as well,” he said on X.
RJD state spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwary said, “The people of Bihar have voted for change, and the youth for a better tomorrow. The large voter turnout is an indication of the fact that people’s tsunami is coming that will sweep the NDA away.”
In Patna, CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said the final turnout was expected to rise by 1–2 percentage points once all data were compiled. “Out of the 45,341 booths, we have received updated data from 41,943 booths so far. We expect the final turnout to increase by up to 2%,” Gunjiyal said.
According to data released after the polls closed, Minapur recorded the highest turnout at 77.62%, followed by Bochahan (76.35%), Kurhani (75.63%), Sakra (75.35%), and Kalyanpur (73.62%).
On the other hand, Kumhrar registered the lowest turnout at 39.57%. Other constituencies that reported lower participation include Bankipur (40.97%), Digha (41.40%), Darauli (57%), and Biharsharif (55.09%).
Gunjiyal also highlighted the robust participation of women voters, who accounted for 17.6 million of the 37.5 millionin the electoral roll in this phase.
Polling was boycotted at a few booths — including Brahampur booth number 56 in Buxar, booth numbers 165 and 166 in Fatuha, and booth numbers 1, 2 and 5 in Surajgarha (Lakhisarai district) — over local grievances.
Additional director general of police (ADG) Kundan Krishnan described the overall law and order situation as “peaceful,” citing only two incidents of note. These involved deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha’s convoy being attacked in Lakhisarai and stone pelting on CPI(ML) Liberation MLA Satyendra Yadav’s vehicle in Saran’s Manjhi constituency.
Sinha accused Rashtriya Janata Dal supporters of pelting stones, throwing cow dung, and intimidating Dalit and extremely backward class (EBC) voters. “The local SP is a coward… people are not being allowed to vote,” Sinha told news agency PTI.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the district administration’s response, Sinha said he would take the matter to ECI. CEC Kumar directed the state director general of police to take “immediate action” against the miscreants, warning that “no one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands.”
Lakhisarai superintendent of police Ajay Kumar said polling continued peacefully in the area but confirmed receiving reports of local protests over poor roads. “I will be able to confirm what actually happened only after visiting the site,” he said.
The RJD rejected Sinha’s allegations. Party spokesperson Shakti Yadav said, “He is a liar. He gets Z+ security. His party controls the administration, yet he blames us? Locals had only raised questions about a broken drain.”
Elsewhere, two allegedly bogus voters were arrested from a booth in Darbhanga, and in Vaishali’s Mahua constituency, a voter was detained for taking a photograph of the electronic voting machine.
Prominent leaders who cast their votes early included chief minister Nitish Kumar, Union ministers Giriraj Singh, Nityanand Rai, and Lalan Singh, and deputy chief ministers Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, and their children Tejashwi Yadav, Misa Bharti, and Rohini Acharya voted together at the Veterinary College booth in Patna. Notably, Tej Pratap Yadav, contesting separately from Mahua as a Janshakti Janata Dal candidate after his expulsion from the RJD, was absent.
The first phase featured several high-stakes contests, including Siwan (BJP’s Mangal Pandey vs RJD’s Awadh Bihari Choudhary), Tarapur (Vijay Kumar Sinha vs Arun Kumar of RJD), Danapur (BJP’s Ram Kripal Yadav vs incarcerated RJD MLA Ritlal Yadav), and Raghopur (Tejashwi Prasad Yadav vs BJP’s Satish Kumar).
Polling began at 7am amid tight security and largely peaceful conditions. The first phase will decide the fate of 1,314 candidates, 122 women among them.
