The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections commenced at 7 AM today, marking a crucial day in the state’s political landscape.
Voters across 121 constituencies in 18 districts have begun casting their ballots amid high stakes, with the fate of several prominent leaders hanging in the balance.
Among the key figures making headlines in this phase are Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and his estranged elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav. The two siblings are contesting from politically significant seats, Raghopur and Mahua respectively. Tejashwi is aiming for a hat-trick win in Raghopur, a traditional stronghold of his family, while Tej Pratap is attempting to wrest control of Mahua.
Another prominent contender is Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, contesting from Tarapur.Adding an intriguing element to the contest is Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, billed as the ‘X’ factor in the race. Kishor, a poll strategist turned politician, has fielded candidates across several seats, stirring up the usual political equations and potentially influencing traditional vote banks.The phase has witnessed sharp political rivalry and allegations.
The RJD has accused the Bihar Election Commission of deliberately cutting electricity supply to “strong booths” of the Mahagathbandhan coalition, purportedly to slow down polling.
The commission, however, has rejected these claims as “completely baseless and misleading.”High-voltage contests are underway in seats like Raghopur, where Tejashwi faces BJP’s Satish Kumar, who had defeated Tejashwi’s mother, Rabri Devi, in 2010.
Mahua sees the unique scenario of the two brothers vying politically against each other, while BJP’s folk singer-turned-politician Maithili Thakur contests from Alinagar, traditionally an RJD bastion.
The election also features the Bhojpuri film industry’s popular faces, Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD, Chhapra) and Ritesh Pandey (Jan Suraaj Party, Kargahar), adding cultural fervor to the political campaign.
Several ministers from the Nitish Kumar-led government, including Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, are hopeful of returning to the assembly. New faces such as Mangal Pandey, Bihar’s health minister, are making their electoral debut in the high-profile Siwan constituency, challenging seasoned RJD politician Awadh Chaudhary.
The elections are also being shadowed by the influence of ‘bahubali’ politicsāfeaturing strongmen like Osama Shahab (son of Mohammad Shahabuddin, contesting from Raghunathpur) and JD(U)’s Anant Singh, who is presently in jail but contesting from Mokama in a fierce battle against the wife of a rival gangster Suraj Bhan.
With women emerging as a decisive voter bloc, political promises have escalated. The NDA has promised a Rs 10,000 cash transfer scheme, while the opposition counters with Tejashwi Yadav’s ‘Mai Bahin Maan Yojana’ promising Rs 30,000 to women.
The backdrop to these elections includes a controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, where around 60 lakh voters were reportedly deleted, sparking allegations from opposition parties about attempts to disenfranchise marginalized communities.
As Bihar votes today in this significant first phase, the political atmosphere is charged with anticipation, high drama, and a wait for results that could shape the state’s future governance.
This phase will test alliances, leadership, and the evolving democratic sentiment of one of India’s most politically vibrant states.