January 20, 2026 04:20 pm (IST)
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Bihar Polls
Bihar Assembly Election: Phase 1 polls underway, 27.65% voter turnout recorded till 11 am
Patna/IBNS: The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began early Thursday (November 6), marking the start of polling across 121 of the State’s 243 constituencies.
More than 3.75 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase.
Voting commenced at 7 a.m. and will continue until 5 p.m. across 45,341 polling stations.
At 11 a.m., voter turnout stood at 27.65%, according to the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Begusarai district recorded the highest turnout at 30.37%, closely followed by Lakhisarai (30.32%) and Gopalganj (30.04%), while Patna reported the lowest turnout so far at 23.71%, the CEO stated.
This phase is particularly significant for smaller parties in both alliances. The CPI(ML), contesting 20 seats overall, has 10 in this round, six of which it currently holds.
In the NDA camp, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) is contesting 10 of its 29 seats in this phase, though it presently holds only one.
The party’s seat allocation had earlier triggered unease within the NDA, especially from the JD(U), which questioned whether the share was justified given the LJP(RV)’s limited representation in the Assembly.
Several prominent candidates are in the fray in this round, including the Opposition’s Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, along with over a dozen BJP and JD(U) Ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government — among them Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
Several prominent candidates are in the fray in this round, including the Opposition’s Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, along with over a dozen BJP and JD(U) Ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government — among them Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
The first phase also features notable newcomers and celebrities, such as young folk singer Maithili Thakur (BJP-Aliganj), Bhojpuri star Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD-Chhapra), and singer-turned-politician Ritesh Pandey (Jan Suraaj Party – Kargahar).
According to Election Commission data, the Digha Assembly seat in Patna has the highest number of electors in this phase, with over 4.56 lakh voters, followed by Kumhrar with over 4.3 lakh.
In total, around 1.98 crore male and 1.76 crore female voters are expected to exercise their franchise on Thursday.
Voting held in Bhimbandh after 20 years
In a notable development, polling took place in Munger’s Maoist-affected Bhimbandh area for the first time in two decades.
Voting held in Bhimbandh after 20 years
In a notable development, polling took place in Munger’s Maoist-affected Bhimbandh area for the first time in two decades.
The region had witnessed the brutal killing of SP C. Surendra Babu and seven police personnel in 2005, after which polling activities were suspended.
Thursday’s voting marked a symbolic return of democracy to Bhimbandh, where residents turned out with visible enthusiasm.
Voting is being conducted peacefully so far across all three Assembly constituencies in Munger district.
Seven polling stations in Bhimbandh reopened, with a heavy deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) ensuring a secure and smooth polling process.
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