Patna: The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Thursday with a historic voter turnout, as 64.66 per cent of the nearly 3.75 crore eligible electors cast their votes across 121 constituencies.
The provisional polling percentage marks the highest participation rate in the state’s assembly election history, signaling intense voter engagement. The Election Commission of India (ECI) described the polling as largely peaceful and conducted in a festive mood.
The high turnout figure immediately fueled competing claims of success from both major alliances. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) suggested the massive participation, particularly among women, validated the state government’s welfare schemes, such as the Mahila Rozgar Yojana.
Conversely, the opposition Mahagathbandhan claimed the record numbers indicated a strong public appetite for change and a rejection of the incumbent government. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor echoed the sentiment, stating the high turnout pointed towards an imminent shift in Bihar’s political landscape.
Several key features distinguished this phase of polling. In an effort to enhance transparency, the ECI introduced live webcasting in 100 per cent of the polling stations, with central and state election officials monitoring the feeds in real time.
The election process also garnered international attention, with 16 delegates from six countries observing the proceedings as part of the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP). Furthermore, over 90,000 ‘Jeevika Didis’ (female volunteers) were deployed to assist polling personnel, particularly with the identification of ‘purdahnasheen’ (veiled) women electors.
While polling was generally smooth, stray incidents and heated political clashes marked the day. The most notable incident occurred in Lakhisarai, where the convoy of Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha was allegedly attacked.
Shri Sinha, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term from the seat, accused supporters of the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of attempting to intimidate extremely backward class voters.
The incident led to a public and heated verbal confrontation between the Deputy CM and RJD MLC Ajay Kumar, temporarily raising tensions. Separately, a vehicle belonging to the Grand Alliance’s CPM candidate in Manjhi was also reported to have been attacked.
The first phase sealed the fate of several prominent candidates. These included RJD’s Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, who is contesting from the high-stakes Raghopur seat. Also in the fray were Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary in Tarapur and Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha in Lakhisarai. The next phase of polling for the remaining constituencies is scheduled for November 11.