Bihar Elections 2025: Voting underway in final phase as BJP, Opposition trade charges in high-stakes battle

Bihar began voting in the second and final phase of the 2025 Assembly elections on Tuesday, November 11, with polling underway for 122 constituencies in 20 districts. The outcome will decide the fate of 1,302 candidates, including 12 ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet, as the state witnesses a high-stakes battle between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

All arrangements in place for second phase

The Election Commission of India (ECI) said all preparations had been completed to ensure free and fair polling. Voting began at 7 a.m. and will continue until 5 p.m., with voters in queue before closing time allowed to cast their votes.

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Polling is being held across 45,399 booths, of which 595 are managed by women, 91 by persons with disabilities, and 316 are designated as model polling stations. Web-casting facilities have been installed at every centre.

The electorate comprises 3.70 crore registered voters - 1.95 crore men, 1.74 crore women, and 943 third-gender electors. Of the total candidates, 136 are women, accounting for about 10 per cent of the field.

Security tightened after Delhi blast

Bihar Director General of Police Vinay Kumar said the state had been placed on high alert following last evening’s car blast near Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi, which killed eight people. Security forces have been deployed across sensitive areas, and inter-state borders have been sealed with intensified checking.

“The state has been on high alert for 72 hours due to the elections,” Kumar said. “We urge voters to cast their votes fearlessly and without apprehension.”

Bihar Polls 2025 | Key constituencies and heavyweights

The second phase will seal the fate of several top ministers and senior leaders:

JD(U): Vijendra Yadav (Supaul), Lesi Singh (Dhamdaha), Jayant Kushwaha (Amarpur), Sumit Singh (Chakai), Mohammad Jama Khan (Chainpur), and Sheela Mandal (Phoolparas).

BJP: Prem Kumar (Gaya), Renu Devi (Bettiah), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikati), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Neeraj Bablu (Chhatapur), and Krishnanandan Paswan (Harsiddhi).

Among the prominent contests:

Sasaram: RLM chief Snehlata Kushwaha (NDA) vs Satendra Sah (RJD) vs Binay Kumar Singh (Jan Suraaj).

Imamganj: HAM(S) MLA Deepa Kumari (NDA) vs Ritu Priya Chaudhary (Mahagathbandhan).

Bhagalpur: Congress’s Ajeet Sharma vs BJP’s Rohit Pandey vs Abhay Kant Jha (Jan Suraaj).

Sultanganj: JD(U)’s Lalit Narayan Mandal vs RJD’s Chandan Kumar.

Nathnagar: Mithun Kumar (LJP-RV) vs Sheikh Zeyaul Hassan (RJD) vs Ajay Kumar Roy (Jan Suraaj).

Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is also contesting through his party HAM(S) in the Imamganj constituency, once again testing his regional influence.

Bihar Elections 2025 | Opposition alleges bias, NDA calls it ‘desperation’

The election campaign concluded amid controversy after Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader and the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, alleged that the ECI was acting as a “tool” of the BJP, accusing it of withholding data from the first phase of voting.

“The Commission is dead; it has stopped functioning independently,” Yadav claimed during a press conference in Patna. He pledged that a Mahagathbandhan government would transform Bihar into “the most developed state”, promising jobs, education reforms, and agro-based industries.

He also accused Prime Minister Modi of shielding NDA leaders from corruption probes, claiming, “If you join the BJP, your sins are washed away. Bathing in the Ganga may not cleanse you, but joining the BJP will.”

In response, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the remarks, saying, “The Opposition always attacks democratic institutions when it senses defeat. This election is a choice between jungle raj and good governance.”

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) said the RJD was “nowhere in the first phase” and “will not be visible after November 14”, when results are announced.

Regions and political stakes

The 122 constituencies span central, northern, and western Bihar, covering districts such as East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Gaya, Aurangabad, Bhagalpur, Rohtas, and Purnia.

In the 2020 elections, the BJP won 42 of these seats, RJD 33, JD(U) 20, Congress 11, and Left parties five. During the 2015 polls, when JD(U) and RJD contested together, the alliance secured 80 of the 122 seats.

For the NDA, the challenge lies in retaining dominance in its northern bastions - East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, and Sitamarhi where it currently holds over 30 seats. The Mahagathbandhan is banking on anti-incumbency and voter mobilisation in Magadh and Seemanchal, while Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party seeks a breakthrough as a third force.

Record turnout expected

The first phase, held on November 6, recorded a 65.08 per cent voter turnout, the highest in Bihar’s history. Election officials expect similar enthusiasm today.

With polling parties deployed and security tightened, Bihar braces for a decisive day that will shape the political landscape of the next five years. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.