Phase 1 of Bihar polls sets tone for 2025 election battle

Over 3.75 crore voters in Bihar will cast ballots in the first phase on Thursday, November 6, 2025, across 121 of the state’s 243 assembly constituencies. This phase is particularly significant for the Opposition Mahagatbandhan, which had secured 63 of these seats in the 2020 election, while the ruling NDA tally between BJP and JD(U) stood at 55. The first-phase contests are also crucial for smaller parties in both coalitions. Ten of the 20 CPI(ML) seats are in the first phase, and the party holds six of those seats, reflecting one of its better strike rates from the 2020 election. In the ruling NDA, 10 of the 29 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) seats are in the first phase, with the NDA currently holding only one of these ten seats. The LJP(RV)’s seat share has sparked discontent among NDA allies, particularly the JD(U), due to perceived underrepresentation in the Assembly. The Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) is contesting six of its 15 seats in this phase, with the party’s president Mukesh Sahani named as the Mahagatbandhan’s deputy chief ministerial candidate. Prominent leaders in the fray include the Opposition’s CM-face Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and V.K. Sinha. The phase will also reveal whether VIP can establish its own weight within the Opposition and how the broader Mahagatbandhan strategy plays out at the polls.

Cover image source: Bihar election 2025 Phase 1: Key dates, constituencies and voting schedule 🔗

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