Can Tejashwi Yadav score a hat-trick in Raghopur? Will Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary make the move from MLC to MLA? Is political debutante Maithili Thakur the popular choice in Aliganj? Answers to all these questions were stored in EVMs today as polls opened across 121 seats for the first phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections.
With the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates in the balance, the first phase will be crucial in determing whether the NDA will return to power, or will Bihar vote for change.
The Mahagathbandhan has declared Tejashwi as its chief ministerial prospect in a bid to build on the anti-incumbency against CM Nitish Kumar.
And there is also the burning question: will political strategist-turned-neta Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party get through to the voters? Here are the highlights of the first phase of voting of the 2025 Bihar election.
2025 Bihar election Phase 1: HIGHLIGHTS
9.45 PM: A statement from Bihar Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Gunjyal put the final voter turnout at approximately 64.46 percent, highest since the 2000 assembly elections. According to a report by news agency ANI, of the 45,341 polling booths in Bihar, the voter turnout of 64.46 percent is based on data from 41,943 booths.
7.45 PM: Polls have closed, with the ECI’s Voter Turnout app showing a total turnout of 60.25 percent in the first phase. The second phase of voting is scheduled for 11 November, followed by counting of votes on 14 November. The highest turnout was seen in Minapur and Kalyanpur constituencies at 73.29 percent and 71.62 percent, while Digha and Kumhrar saw the lowest turnout at 39.1 percent and 39.52 percent respectively.
5.45 PM: Around 60.13 percent of voters have cast their votes in the first phase of Bihar elections till 5 PM, according to the ECI’s Voter Turnout app. Latest figures show Minapur constituency has registered the highest turnout at 73.29 percent, with Digha seeing the lowest turnout of 39.1 percent.
5.10 PM: Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary is contesting from Tarapur, a seat that has been in the family for long. Choudhary, who is a prominent OBC face of the BJP in Bihar, joined the party in 2016 after stints with the RJD, JD(U) & Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM.
5.00 PM: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is in Bihar to campaign for Phase-2 of Bihar polls. Addressing a public meeting in Araria Thursday, he said that Modi and Amit Shah are running a ‘jungle raj’ from Delhi using ED, CBI and IT department. “They have land at Re 1 per acre for Adani, but no land for industry,” he remarked. He also promised employment, good prices for makhana farmers, a world class university and quality hospitals, colleges and English medium schools if the Mahagathbandhan is voted to power.
3.50 PM: Approximate voter turnout of 53.77 percent until 3 PM, according to ECI’s Voter Turnout app. Minapur constituency has registered the highest turnout of 64.72 percent so far, and Digha has seen the lowest turnout of 31.89 percent.
3.20 PM: RJD has posted a string of video clips on its X account, alleging that voters are being obstructed or blocked from voting in multiple constituencies.
In Mohiuddinagar, it claims police personnel brutally beat up and threatened voters.
In Danapur, it alleges, the administration has stopped operation of boats, with thousands of voters left unable to reach their polling booths to cast their votes.
Another post reads, “The Vaishali district administration has systematically stopped the operation of vehicles heading to Raghopur via the 6-lane bridge and boats from Kaccha Dargah, thereby depriving hundreds of voters in Raghopur of their voting rights! Even upon showing voter cards, the police is not agreeing. By what authority are voters being deprived of their voting rights @CEOBihar @ECISVEEP??”
3.00 PM: From lakhpati didis to land-for-every-home, Bihar’s election pitch is paved with promises—jobs in every household, expressways in every direction, and crores set aside for farmers, women and students. The NDA and Mahagathbandhan are essentially selling two versions of the same Bihar. Here’s a look at what the parties have promised this election:
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2.30 PM: RJD alleges violence against its worker by “BJP goon and his brother” at Maricha Chowk, Sarai in Vaishali district.
हार की हताशा में भाजपाइयों की गुंडागर्दी शुरू!
मरीचा चौक, सराय में राजद कार्यकर्ता पर भाजपाई गुंडे और उसके भाई ने चाकू से हमला किया!इन अपराधियों की जल्द गिरफ्तारी कर चुनाव आयोग अपनी निष्पक्षता सिद्ध करे! @CEOBihar @ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/cLeh3VkNad
— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) November 6, 2025
2.20 PM: RJD supporters surround Bihar Deputy CM and BJP candidate from Lakhisarai seat, Vijay Kumar Sinha’s car, hurling slippers and pelting stones amid chants of “Murdabad”, blocking him from entering Khoriari village.
#WATCH | #BiharElection2025 | RJD supporters surround Deputy CM and BJP candidate from Lakhisarai constituency, Vijay Kumar Sinha's car, hurl slippers, pelt stones and chant "Murdabad", forbidding him from entering Khoriari village. Police personnel present here. pic.twitter.com/ATcT6m3Lt7
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
1.00 PM: Voting is underway in 121 constituencies in 18 districts. ThePrint’s Praveen Jain brings you glimpses from Danapur, Didha Bata, and Pulawari.
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12.50 PM: RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, is in the fray from Raghopur—the seat he wrestled from JD(U) in 2015 and retained in 2020.
12.40 PM: Meanwhile, PM Modi is in Bihar as NDA shifts focus to the seats that will vote in Phase-2 on 11 November. Addressing a rally in Araria Thursday, he said, “In 15 years of jungle raj, no IIT was built, nor any IIM. Not even a Naltional Law University was established. These leaders of RJD took away a generation’s future. Under NDA, Nitish Kumar has worked very hard to bring Bihar out of jungle raj.”
#WATCH | Araria, Bihar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "A few days ago, I exposed the truth behind the ongoing feud between Congress and RJD. After this truth came out, the feud between them has intensified even more. Just now, we saw that Congress has now fielded the… pic.twitter.com/9k6YJOoovH
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
12.31 PM: Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan casts his vote in Khagaria.
#BiharElection2025 | Union Minister and LJP(RV) Chief Chirag Paswan casts his vote in a polling booth in Khagaria pic.twitter.com/AZBFayDKXA
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
12.00 PM: Phase-1 polling sees an approximate turnout of 27.65 percent till 11 AM, according to ECI’s Voter Turnout app. Garkha constituency has registered highest turnout of 33.70 percent so far, with lowest turnout of 13.8 percent in Bankipur.
मतदान प्रतिशत 11:00 AM@ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/Tfv9DRpbMP
— Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar (@CEOBihar) November 6, 2025
11.40 AM: Phase-1 of voting in Bihar follows an intense canvassing period in 121 constituencies across 18 districts. With the polling now underway, political parties have shifted their focus to the second phase, where the contest is expected to intensify further.
Snapshots from Bihar: Prashant Kishor roadshow, Nitish address & RJD hoardings round up Phase 1 campaign
ThePrint National Photo Editor Praveen Jain @PraveenJain2622 brings you glimpse from the ground#BiharPollsWithThePrinthttps://t.co/S8xK27A05p
— ThePrintIndia (@ThePrintIndia) November 6, 2025
11.20 AM: RJD has alleged that power cuts are being engineered to intentionally cause slow voting at booths where the Mahagathbandhan holds strong position, requesting ECI to take action against the “rigging” with “malicious intent”.
The Election Commission has, however, rejected the allegations, calling them baseless and misleading. The poll body has asserted that the polling is underway at all booths in a “fair, transparent, and uninterrupted” manner.
यह आरोप पूरी तरह निराधार और भ्रामक है। बिहार में सभी मतदान केन्द्रों पर सुचारू रूप से मतदान चल रहा है। भारत निर्वाचन आयोग मतदान प्रक्रिया को निष्पक्ष, पारदर्शी और निर्बाध बनाने के लिए सभी मानक प्रोटोकॉल का पालन कर रहा है। ऐसे भ्रामक प्रचार का कोई आधार नहीं है। https://t.co/4ZAErlSTt5
— Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar (@CEOBihar) November 6, 2025
11.00 AM: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar monitors the voting in Phase-1 of Bihar assembly polls from New Delhi.
#WATCH | Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar monitors the voting taking place in the first phase of #BiharElection2025. The Election Commission is keeping a close watch on every polling booth. pic.twitter.com/4Q1KXhjnLm
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
10.45 AM: RJD leader and son of former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, Osama Shahab, casts his booth in Pratappur, Siwan. Osama is RJD’s candidate from Raghunathpur, a seat deeply intertwined with the family’s name. Shahabuddin was once both a towering and contentious figure in Bihar politics before he died of Covid at a Delhi hospital in 2021. Raghunathpur is a home constituency for Osama, as the ancestral village, Pratappur, falls under this assembly constituency.
Read Neelam Pandey and Mayank Kumar’s report on why Lalu-Tejashwi have bet on don Shahabuddin’s ‘London-educated’ son in Siwan, risking jungle raj barbs.
VIDEO | Bihar Elections 2025: RJD leader and son of former MP Shahabuddin, Osama Sahab, casts his booth at a polling booth in Pratapur, Siwan. #BiharElections2025 #BiharElectionsWithPTI
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/jrMFHGS5on
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 6, 2025
10.35 AM: Janshakti Janata Dal national president Tej Pratap Yadav, who is contesting in the Mahua assembly seat, casts his vote.
#BiharElection2025 | Patna | Jan Shakti Janata Dal's national president and candidate from Mahua assembly constituency, Tej Pratap Yadav, says," The people of Bihar must cast their vote. Every vote is important…The blessings of parents hold a special place, and the blessings of… pic.twitter.com/oFMN1mNmIB
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
10.30 AM: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar casts his vote in Bakhtiarpur.
VIDEO | Bihar Elections 2025: CM Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) casts vote at Manju Sinha Project Girls' Higher Secondary School, Bakhtiarpur.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7)#BiharElections2025 #BiharElectionsWithPTI pic.twitter.com/hP1TrOFdhd
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 6, 2025
10.00 AM: Vikassheel Insaan Party chief and Mahagathbandhan’s deputy CM face Mukesh Sahani casts his vote in Darbhanga.
#WATCH | VIP chief and Mahagathbandhan's Deputy CM face Mukesh Sahani says, "My message is that everyone should step out of their house and cast their vote – for a better government and a better Bihar. Vote to strengthen democracy…This nation is yours, not of any politician.… https://t.co/V5yFLGjCFo pic.twitter.com/Dudyqyy1sc
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
9.40 AM: Early trends, according to ECI’s Voter Turnout App, show 13.13 percent turnout as of 9 AM in the first phase of voting in Bihar. State’s Chief Electoral Officer releases district-wise turnout figures.
VTR – 09:00 AM@ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/jXpdyDRFde
— Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar (@CEOBihar) November 6, 2025
9.15 AM: In posts on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah urged voters in Bihar to cast their votes “with full enthusiasm”.
बिहार में आज लोकतंत्र के उत्सव का पहला चरण है। विधानसभा चुनावों में इस दौर के सभी मतदाताओं से मेरा आग्रह है कि वे पूरे उत्साह के साथ मतदान करें। इस मौके पर पहली बार वोट डालने जा रहे राज्य के अपने सभी युवा साथियों को मेरी विशेष बधाई। याद रखना है- पहले मतदान, फिर जलपान!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 6, 2025
बिहार के मतदाता बहनों-भाइयों, विशेषकर युवाओं से आग्रह करता हूँ कि आज पहले चरण के मतदान में रिकॉर्ड संख्या में वोट करें।
आपका एक-एक वोट बिहार में जंगलराज की वापसी को रोकने, सुशासन को बनाए रखने और एक विकसित, आत्मनिर्भर बिहार के निर्माण का मार्ग प्रशस्त करेगा। घुसपैठियों और…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 6, 2025
9.00 AM: Singer and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Alinagar, Maithili Thakur offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple as Alinagar votes today.
#WATCH | #BiharElection2025 | Singer and BJP candidate from Alinagar, Maithili Thakur offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Alinagar, Darbhanga. pic.twitter.com/lglEj7HK2S
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
With Thakur, the party is trying to build an emotional connect with voters, presenting her as ‘Mithila ki beti’. ThePrint’s Neelam Pandey followed her on campaign trail. Read here what she said.
8.50 AM: Former Bihar chief minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav casts his vote in Patna with other members of his family, including his wife and former CM Rabri Devi, his son Tejashwi Yadav who is Mahagathbandhan’s CM face for the polls, his wife Rajshree Yadav, and RJD leaders Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya.
#WATCH | Patna: Former Bihar CM and RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former CM Rabri Devi, RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan's CM face Tejashwi Yadav, his wife, Rajshree Yadav, RJD leaders Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya show their inked fingers after casting their votes… pic.twitter.com/gs4MdDN4k1
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
8.45 AM: The Election Commission of India urges eligible voters to exercise their franchise to mark the “festival of democracy” as the first phase of voting in Bihar polls kicks off.
Polling Starts for #Phase1 elections across 121 Assembly Constituencies in #Bihar Today! ✅
Check out the facts at a glance for Phase 1 #BiharAssemblyElections, 6th November 2025#BiharElections2025 #LoktantrKaTyohar #ECI pic.twitter.com/PiH0lo0vlF
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) November 6, 2025
8.30 AM: Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, who holds the fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, and Panchayati Raj portfolios, casts his vote in Patna. He expressed confidence that NDA government in the leadership of Nitish Kumar will retain power in Bihar.’
#WATCH | Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh casts his vote in #BiharElection2025, at a polling booth in Patna
He says, "This is a festival of democracy. We must follow 'Pehle matdaan, phir jal-paan'…NDA government in the leadership of Nitish Kumar will be formed in… pic.twitter.com/uYSfZuwl88
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
8.15 AM: Voters begin queuing up at polling booths across constituencies to cast their votes. Early visuals from Mahua and Khagaria:
#WATCH | #BiharElection2025 | People queue up at a polling booth in Mahua as theya wait their turn to cast vote in the first phase of state assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/NSK1Urhrex
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2025
VIDEO | Bihar assembly polls phase-1: Voters turn up at 182 KN Club, Khagaria, to cast their votes early in the day.
A voter Kavita Kumari says, “I have come here early in the morning to cast vote. I want an educated government to get elected so that my children’s future can be… pic.twitter.com/v2DQg2MNtz
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 6, 2025
7 AM: Polls open across 121 seats
As polls open, 3.75 crore voters are set to decide the fate of 1,314 candidates in the first phase of the 2025 Bihar election. Polling day marks the culmination of a high-voltage campaign that saw PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar address a flurry of public meetings across the length and breadth of the state.
This was matched on the other side by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, as well as Prashant Kishor whose Jan Suraaj party is making its political debut.
Also Read: In race to win over Jeevika Didis, Tejashwi’s Bihar manifesto looks to one up NDA with big promise