New Delhi – Bihar’s assembly polls kicked off on Thursday with the first‑phase voting covering 121 of the state’s 243 seats. More than 3.75 crore registered voters turned out at 45,341 polling stations, 36,733 of which are in rural areas, reflecting the region’s agricultural roots. The phase is a decisive test for the Opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
In 2020 the Mahagathbandhan won 63 of the contested seats; the NDA took 55. The Grand Alliance now faces a challenge in holding onto these strongholds as it gears up for the remaining rounds. The BJP and JD(U) together control a valuable portion of the assembly, while the CPA(ML) heads a smaller but influential faction. The Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) will contest 10 seats in this phase out of its 20, holding six here already and looking to maintain its 2020 performance.
The NDA’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) or LJP(RV), led by Chirag Paswan, is vying for 29 seats across Bihar. Ten of these are in the first phase, but the alliance only holds one of those seats, stirring tension with the JD(U) over seat allocations.
The Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) – now part of the Mahagathbandhan – contests 15 seats, six in this phase. VIP chief Mukesh Sahani is the alliance’s deputy chief ministerial candidate, giving the party extra visibility.
Star power lights up the ballot. Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD’s chief ministerial hopeful, will contest from a seat amid over a dozen NDA ministers. Deputy Chiefs of Staff Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha are also in the fray, with Choudhary re‑entering the assembly after nearly a decade. Former BJP president Mangal Pandey stands for the first time in Siwan.
Celebrities add color to the campaign: folk singer Maithili Thakur runs on a BJP ticket in Aliganj, Bhojpuri star Khesari Lal Yadav backs the RJD in Chhapra, and actor Ritesh Pandey contests from Kargahar as a Jan Suraaj Party candidate.
Tejashwi’s elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, has launched the Janshakti Janata Dal. He contests his old seat of Mahua, hoping to create an independent niche and shift the family‑led power dynamic within the RJD.
High‑profile contests also include JD(U)’s Anant Singh, currently arrested on a murder charge, facing RJD’s Veena Devi, who carries her own criminal history. In Raghunathpur, Osama Shahab, son of the late gangster‑turned‑politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, runs on an RJD ticket.
The Election Commission notes that 1.072 million voters in this phase are first‑timers, and 738,000 are 18‑ or 19‑year‑olds, making youth turnout a critical factor.
Bihar stands on the brink of a new political chapter. The results of this phase will shape the narrative for the coming weeks and could set the tone for Bihar’s political story over the next five years.
Source: ianslive
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