Polling for the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections began in 121 consituencies at 7 AM on Thursday. The fate of several ministers, along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and his estranged brother Tej Pratap Yadav, will be sealed. The contest will see the NDA face off against a resurgent Mahagathbandhan, with Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party emerging as the wildcard in this high-stakes battle.
A total of 121 constituencies across 18 districts, many of them south of the Ganga, are going to the polls. In 2020, the Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD, had the edge here, winning 63 seats to the NDA’s 55. The region, which includes Patna, has historically been a bellwether of Bihar’s political mood.
Key Contests In Phase 1
Among the prominent seats in play is Raghopur, where Tejashwi Yadav is eyeing a hat-trick. He faces BJP’s Satish Kumar, who had defeated Tejashwi’s mother Rabri Devi in 2010 and is contesting this time on a JD(U) ticket. The Jan Suraaj Party has also fielded a candidate here.
In neighbouring Mahua, Tej Pratap Yadav will attempt to reclaim the seat for himself, challenging sitting RJD MLA Mukesh Raushan. The contest is a prestige test for Tej Pratap, now expelled from his party.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is contesting from Tarapur, while his colleague Vijay Kumar Sinha seeks a fourth consecutive term from Lakhisarai. The high-profile Siwan seat will see Health Minister Mangal Pandey—a former BJP state president—make his Assembly debut against RJD’s Awadh Chaudhary, a former Speaker.
In Alinagar, folk singer Maithili Thakur, the BJP’s youngest candidate, is hoping her popularity will help her break into what has traditionally been RJD territory. Bhojpuri film stars are also in the mix, Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD, Chhapra) and Ritesh Pandey (Jan Suraaj, Kargahar), bringing a dose of celebrity glamour to the campaign trail.
Bahubalis, Prestige Battles And Promises
True to Bihar’s political tradition, several bahubali (strongman) candidates are in the fray, including Osama Shahab, son of late RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin, from Raghunathpur, and JD(U)’s Anant Singh, contesting from Mokama.
In Mokama, a routine fight has turned into a high-stakes prestige battle following the murder of a Jan Suraaj supporter. Singh, currently in jail in connection with the case, is pitted against the wife of gangster-turned-politician Suraj Bhan of the RJD.
With women emerging as a decisive voting bloc, both alliances have made targeted promises. The NDA has announced a Rs 10,000 direct cash transfer scheme, while the Mahagathbandhan is banking on Tejashwi Yadav’s ‘Mai Bahin Maan Yojana’, which offers Rs 30,000 to women.
Shadow Of Voter Roll Controversy
The elections come amid controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which reportedly led to around 60 lakh deletions. The opposition has alleged that the exercise was aimed at disenfranchising marginalised voters, a charge the Election Commission has denied.