Over 3.75 crore voters to decide fate of 121 Bihar seats in first phase today

This opening phase carries major political weight for both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition Mahagatbandhan, which had won 63 of these seats in the 2020 polls.

The BJP and Janata Dal (United) together had secured 55 back then.

The early contests are equally significant for smaller allies in both camps. Of the 20 seats contested by the CPI(ML), 10 fall in this phase, six of which it currently holds.

The Left party had one of the highest strike rates in 2020, making retention of these seats critical to sustaining its influence.

Within the NDA, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) [LJP(RV)] is contesting 10 of its 29 allocated seats in this round. The alliance currently controls only one of them.

The LJP(RV)’s inclusion and its seat allotment had earlier sparked friction within the NDA — particularly with the JD(U) — which questioned the party’s share, citing its limited legislative presence.

Meanwhile, in the opposition alliance, the performance of the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) will be closely monitored.

Six of its 15 contested seats will go to the polls in this phase.

The Mahagatbandhan has projected VIP leader Mukesh Sahani as its Deputy Chief Ministerial face, raising the stakes further for the party.

Prominent leaders and celebrities in contest

The first phase will witness several heavyweight candidates, including the Opposition’s CM face Tejashwi Yadav and multiple sitting ministers from the Nitish Kumar government, such as Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.

Choudhary, contesting from Tarapur, is returning to direct electoral politics after nearly a decade.

Former Bihar BJP chief and Minister Mangal Pandey will also make his Assembly election debut from Siwan.

Adding glamour to the ballot, several well-known public figures are also in the fray.

Folk singer Maithili Thakur (BJP – Aliganj), Bhojpuri stars Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD – Chhapra), and Ritesh Pandey (Jan Suraaj Party – Kargahar) are among the notable celebrity candidates.

Key constituencies to watch

While the RJD’s leadership transition is now firmly under Tejashwi Yadav, attention will also be on his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who has floated a separate outfit, the Janshakti Janata Dal.

He will contest from the Mahua seat, testing his individual appeal.

Other high-stakes constituencies include Mokama and Raghunathpur. In Mokama, JD(U)’s Anant Singh — recently arrested in connection with a murder case — faces RJD’s Veena Devi, wife of controversial leader Suraj Bhan.

Both have high-profile criminal cases shadowing their campaigns. In Raghunathpur, Osama Shahab, son of the late gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, will contest on an RJD ticket, drawing significant attention.

Voter demographics and polling arrangements

Polling will be held across 45,341 booths, with over 80% (36,733) located in rural areas.

As per the Election Commission, the 121 constituencies together account for around 3.75 crore registered voters, including 10.72 lakh new electors. Among them, 7.38 lakh are first-time voters aged 18–19 years.

The first phase of voting is expected to set the tone for the high-stakes Bihar Assembly election, offering the first glimpse of the electoral mood ahead of subsequent rounds.