First phase Bihar polls open; high-stakes for big and small players
First phase Bihar polls open; high-stakes for big and small players
Voters in 121 Bihar constituencies head to the polls in Phase 1 as major parties and smaller outfits jockey for position ahead of a pivotal election.
More than 3.75 crore voters are set to cast ballots in the first phase of Bihar’s Assembly elections on Thursday, covering 121 of the state’s 243 constituencies. This phase is pivotal for the Opposition Mahagatbandhan, which had won 63 seats in 2020, while the NDA and JD(U) together took 55.
The CPI(ML) faces a stiff test as it fields candidates in 20 seats, with 10 of them in Phase 1, where the party historically performed well. The Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas (LJP RV) is contesting 10 Phase 1 seats, but the NDA currently holds only one of those. The seat allocation row within the NDA has been a talking point ahead of voting. The Vikasheel Insaan Party or VIP is fighting for traction in six of the 15 seats it contests this phase, with VIP chief Mukesh Sahani named as the opposition deputy chief ministerial candidate.
In the opposition, Tejashwi Yadav is the chief ministerial candidate in the fray, along with a slate that includes senior ministers such as Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha in the ruling camp. Choudhary is contesting a direct election this time, a sign of high stakes in several key seats.
As voters head to polling booths, analysts say Phase 1 will set the tone for the rest of the election, but the final outcome will depend on a mosaic of caste dynamics, local issues, and how well parties stitch together alliances. The results will offer early momentum readings for both Mahagatbandhan and NDA as campaigns push into the next rounds.
Cover image source: Bihar election 2025 Phase 1: Key dates, constituencies and voting schedule 🔗
