Patna: Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Thursday across 121 constituencies in 18 districts, recording a voter turnout of 64.46% as of 6 pm, according to data released by the Election Commission of India.
Among districts, Begusarai registered the highest turnout at 67.32%, while Sheikhpura recorded the lowest at 52.36%. Other major districts reported steady participation, with Gopalganj at 64.96%, Muzaffarpur at 64.63%, and Madhepura at 65.74%. Turnout remained relatively moderate in urban areas such as Patna (55.02%) and Buxar (55.10%).
At the constituency level, Meenapur saw the most enthusiastic voter response with 73.29%, while Kumhrar, part of Patna district, recorded the lowest participation at 39.52%.
Several prominent candidates were in the fray during this phase. In Raghopur, where RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is contesting, turnout stood at 64.01%, while Tej Pratap Yadav’s constituency Mahua saw 54.88%. BJP’s Samrat Choudhary witnessed 58.33% polling in Tarapur, while his colleague Vijay Kumar Sinha’s seat Lakhisarai recorded 60.51%.
Actor-singer Khesari Lal Yadav’s constituency Chhapra reported 56.32% turnout, while independent candidate Preeti Kinnar in Bhore drew 61.05%. In Sarairanjan, where Vijay Kumar Choudhary is contesting, voter enthusiasm was notably high at 70.19%. Shivani Shukla (Lalganj) saw 60.17%, and Osama Shahab (Raghunathpur) recorded 51.18%.
The turnout marks a rise from previous elections. In 2020, Bihar recorded an overall 57.05% turnout — slightly higher than the 56.8% in 2015 — but significantly below this year’s first-phase figure.
