Bihar Phase 1 Voting: CM Nitish Kumar votes in Bakhtiyarpur, urges voters to ‘exercise rights’

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar set the tone for the first phase of the 2025 Assembly elections by casting his vote at a polling station in Bakhtiyarpur on Thursday morning. Arriving with a small entourage, he exercised his franchise, proudly displayed his inked finger to the media, and urged citizens to participate actively in the democratic process. Calling voting both a right and a duty, he described the elections as a “festival of democracy” and light-heartedly encouraged voters with the slogan: “Vote first, then refreshments!” लोकतंत्र में मतदान केवल हमारा अधिकार ही नहीं, दायित्व भी है। आज बिहार विधानसभा चुनाव के पहले चरण का मतदान हो रहा है — सभी मतदाताओं से आग्रह है कि अपने मताधिकार का प्रयोग अवश्य करें। मतदान करें और दूसरों को भी प्रेरित करें। पहले मतदान, फिर जलपान! — Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) November 6, 2025 Polling Begins Across Key Districts Polling started at 7 am in 121 constituencies spanning 18 districts, including parts of Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, and Gopalganj. More than 3.75 crore voters are expected to determine the fate of 1,314 candidates. Voting will continue until 6 p.m., with some sensitive areas closing earlier for security reasons. Bihar Election 2025 Phase 1: Voting underway with early turnout at 27.65% till 11 am High-Stakes Contest in Prominent Constituencies Major figures in the fray include RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. In Mahua, Tej Pratap Yadav (Janshakti Janata Dal) faces a three-way contest against Mukesh Kumar Raushan (RJD) and Sanjay Singh (LJP). The overall race is primarily between the NDA (led by JD(U) and BJP) and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan (INDIA bloc) under Tejashwi Yadav, while the newly launched Jan Suraaj Party is seeking to disrupt the traditional dynamics by contesting all 243 seats. Voter Turnout & Security Measures By 9 am, voter turnout had reached approximately 13.13%. The Election Commission has implemented measures such as limiting the number of voters per polling station to 1,200, dedicated facilities for women and differently-abled voters, and strict monitoring protocols to ensure smooth polling. ‘This is India, Not Pakistan’: Giriraj Singh’s remarks on burqa-clad voters spark political row; Full story here Next Phase & Counting Schedule The second phase of polling will take place on November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. All eyes remain on voter turnout, the performance of key parties, and the impact of new entrants on Bihar’s political landscape.