Bihar Polls: Tejashwi Yadav casts vote, announces ‘new govt on November 14’; Full story here

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav today casted his vote in Patna along with his wife Rajshree Yadav as polling began for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. After casting his vote, Yadav exuded confidence that the Grand Alliance would secure a clear majority in the polls. “A new government will be formed on November 14,” Tejashwi Yadav said, referring to the date when counting of votes is scheduled to take place. Bihar phase 1 polling underway; PM Modi urges people to vote with ‘full enthusiasm’ Voting Underway Across 18 Districts The first phase of polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 p.m. in most constituencies, while voting in sensitive areas will end at 5 p.m. Voters in 121 out of 243 constituencies across 18 districts are exercising their franchise in this round. According to the Election Commission, more than 3.75 crore voters are eligible to vote across 45,341 polling stations, of which 36,733 are in rural areas. Around 10.72 lakh new electors are participating in the democratic process for the first time. Key districts voting in this phase include Patna, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Madhepura, Begusarai, Nalanda, Buxar, Gopalganj, Siwan, and Bhojpur, among others. Major Contenders in the First Phase This phase features several high-profile contests involving key leaders from all major parties. Tejashwi Yadav is contesting from Raghopur, where he faces BJP’s Satish Kumar, who had earlier defeated Yadav’s mother Rabri Devi in 2010. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary of the BJP is contesting from Tarapur, while his colleague Vijay Kumar Sinha is also among the key figures in the fray. Tej Pratap Yadav, Tejashwi’s brother and chief of Janshakti Janata Dal, is contesting from Mahua, where he faces a triangular fight against RJD’s Mukesh Kumar Raushan and LJP’s Sanjay Singh. Popular folk singer Maithili Thakur is contesting from Alinagar on a BJP ticket. JD(U) leader Anant Singh, currently in jail, is contesting from Mokama. Bihar Election 2025: Phase 1 Polling Begins in 18 Districts — Who Will Take Early Lead? Three-Way Political Contest The election is witnessing a triangular contest among three major blocs: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and the BJP, along with allies LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM (Jitan Ram Manjhi), and RLM (Upendra Kushwaha). The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), comprising RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, CPI-ML (Liberation), and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). The Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, making its electoral debut by contesting all 243 seats. Counting on November 14 Out of the 1,314 candidates in the fray today, 122 are women and 1,192 men. The counting of votes for both phases of the Bihar Assembly Elections will take place on November 14, determining whether Tejashwi Yadav’s confidence of forming a new government holds true.