Bihar Assembly Elections Phase-1 Records 60.13% Turnout Amid Peaceful Polling Across 121 Seats

Patna, Nov 2025 : The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections registered a turnout of 60.13% till 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Voting was conducted across 121 constituencies in 18 districts, marking a largely peaceful and orderly beginning to the multi-phase electoral exercise.

Among all districts, Begusarai emerged as the top performer with a voter turnout of 67.32%, followed closely by Samastipur at 66.65% and Madhepura at 65.74%. Within Begusarai, Bachhwara (AC 142) recorded the highest turnout of 69.67% by 5 p.m., underscoring the district’s strong electoral engagement.

By 3 p.m., overall participation had reached 53.77%, though the pace of polling varied significantly across districts. Patna reported the most sluggish turnout at 48.69% during this period. In contrast, Begusarai’s Cherai-Bariarpur (AC 141) led with 62.55%, followed by Bachhwara at 60.98% and Teghra (AC 143) at 60.27%.

District-wise turnout at 3 p.m. highlighted distinct voting patterns:

• Bhojpur: 50.07%
• Buxar: 51.69%
• Darbhanga: 51.75%
• Gopalganj: 58.17%
• Khagaria: 54.77%
• Lakhisarai: 57.39%
• Madhepura: 55.96%
• Munger: 52.17%
• Muzaffarpur: 58.40%
• Nalanda: 52.32%
• Saharsa: 55.22%
• Samastipur: 56.35%
• Saran: 54.60%
• Sheikhpura: 49.37%
• Siwan: 50.93%
• Vaishali: 53.63%

Earlier in the day, the average turnout stood at 42.31% by 1 p.m., and 27.65% by 11 a.m., with districts like Begusarai (30.37%), Lakhisarai (30.32%), Saharsa (29.68%), and Muzaffarpur (29.66%) showing relatively higher early participation. Despite the steady flow of voters, polling remained peaceful, with no major disruptions reported.

A total of 1,314 candidates—including 1,192 men and 122 women—are contesting in this phase. The electorate comprises 3.75 crore voters, including 1.98 crore men, 1.76 crore women, and 758 third-gender electors, who cast their ballots at 45,341 polling stations. Of these, 36,733 are located in rural areas, while 8,608 are in urban regions.

To ensure accessible and inclusive polling, the ECI set up 320 model polling booths, 926 women-managed stations, and 107 booths operated by persons with disabilities. Additionally, webcasting has been deployed at all polling stations to enable real-time monitoring and enhance transparency.

Security was intensified across the 18 districts, with over 15 battalions of police and paramilitary forces deployed. Special attention was given to sensitive and Naxal-affected constituencies, where polling concluded at 5 p.m., an hour earlier than other areas. All voting machines and systems underwent mock polling at 5 a.m. to ensure smooth functioning ahead of the official start of voting at 7 a.m.

Phase-1 of the Bihar elections closed on a notably orderly note, setting the tone for the subsequent phases of polling in the state.