Patna: The first phase of polling in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 began on Thursday, November 6. Out of 243 seats, the polling is being held on a total of constituencies 121 across 18 districts in this phase.
According to the Election Commission, there are 10.72 lakh 'new electors' and 7.78 lakh voters are in the age group of 18-19 years. The total population of these constituencies, as stated by the Election Commission, is 6.60 crore.
Key Candidates:
The first phase will decide the fate of several senior leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition's Mahagathbandhan, including Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD's) Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Janata Dal United (JDU's) Shravan Kumar and Vijay Kumar Choudhary. RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav is also in the fray.
Other senior leaders who are contesting polls from constituencies in the first phase include popular folk singer Maithili Thakur, Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav, and JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha. Meanwhile, from Mokama, Anant Singh, who was arrested in the murder case of Jan Suraaj Party's (JSP) Dular Chand Yadav, is contesting from the JDU ticket. There are 122 women candidates in the fray in the first phase of polls.
Here Is The List Of Key Constituencies In The First Phase Of Polls:
Raghopur: This seat is a family bastion for the RJD. Opposition's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav is contesting from this seat for the third time. Tejashwi is facing NDA's Satish Yadav and Chanchal Kumar of the JSP.
Tarapur: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary is contesting the seat against RJD's Arun Kumar Shah. Meanwhile, Santosh Kumar Singh of the JSP and Sukhdev Yadav of Tej Pratap Yadav's Janshakti Janata Dal are also in the fray.
Mahua: Lalu Prasad Yadav's estranged son Teh Pratap is contesting from this seat. He is facing sitting RJD MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan and LJP’s Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Mokama: This seat has been in the news for the past few days after he murder of Jan Suraaj Party member Dularchand Yadav. He was campaigning for Piyush Priyadarshi. JDU candidate Anant Singh was arrested in the murder case. The seat is witnessing a tight contest between RJD's Veena Devi and Singh.
Alinagar: Folk singer Maithili Thakur is contesting on the BJP from this seat for the first time. She is having a tough fight from RJD’s Binod Mishra and the JSP’s Biplaw Kumar Chowdhary.
Chhapra: Bhojpuri singer Khesari Lal Yadavnis is representing the RJD from this seat. He is contesting against the BJP’s Chhoti Kumari and the Independent candidate Rakhi Gupta.
Lakhisarai: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha is contesting from this seat. He had held the Lakhisarai seat since 2005. Sinha is in the race against Congress candidate Amresh Kumar and Suraj Kumar of the Jan Suraaj Party.
Begusarai: From this seat, BJP's Kundan Kumar is facing Congress candidate Amita Bhushan. Meanwhile, Dr Mira Singh, a gynaecologist, is also contesting from this seat on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket.
Patna Sahib: This time, the BJP has fielded 45-year-old lawyer Ratnesh Kushwaha from this seat, replacing MLA Nand Kishore Yadav, 72. The Congress has fielded 35-year-old Shashant Shekhar. Notably, it is Shekhar's first election.
Arrah: BJP’s Sanjay Singh is contesting against JSP's Vijay Kumar Gupta and CPI(ML)'s candidate Quyamuddin Ansari.
In the first phase, among the NDA parties, the BJP is contesting JD(U) is contesting 57 seats, followed by BJP on 48 and LJP (Ram Vilas) on 14. Meanwhile, in Mahagathbandhan, the RJD is contesting 73 seats in the first phase, followed by 24 from the Congress and 14 from CPI(ML).
