Patna: Record turnout in Bihar’s Seemanchal region has intensified political debate over which coalition is likely to gain from one of the most decisive phases of the 2025 Assembly elections. The four-district belt of Kishanganj, Katihar, Araria and Purnia — a Muslim-majority region long known for polarised voting — registered some of the highest polling numbers in the state.
According to the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout app, more than 68% voting was recorded by 7pm in the second phase on Tuesday, with figures expected to rise further as data from remaining booths comes in. Kishanganj and Katihar topped the turnout chart with 77.80% and 77.93% respectively. In the first phase, Bihar had registered 65.08%, already a historic high.
The sharp rise in Seemanchal has surprised political analysts, many of whom believe that the surge could reshape outcomes across the 24 seats in the region. Seemanchal has often swung between alliances, but higher participation among Muslim voters has typically been seen as an advantage for the opposition Mahagathbandhan. Others, however, argue that the picture is more complex.
“Seemanchal has the highest Muslim population in Bihar — above 70% in Kishanganj and above 40% in the other three districts. This leads to a natural consolidation of votes in every major election,” said political commentator Priyaranjan Bharti. “But the region also witnesses significant counter-polarisation of Hindu votes, which has enabled BJP and JD(U) candidates to win many seats. This time will be no different.”
Turnout this year saw a steep rise from the 2020 Assembly elections, where polling was 64% in Kishanganj, 67.1% in Katihar, 62.3% in Araria and 62.3% in Purnia. In the current election, provisional numbers show jumps of up to 15 percentage points across the region.
In 2020, the NDA had won 66 of the 122 seats voting in the second phase, while the Mahagathbandhan secured 49. Seemanchal itself delivered mixed results: BJP won eight of the 24 seats, JD(U) four, Congress five, RJD and CPI-ML one each, while AIMIM surprised many by claiming five.
This year, the region is witnessing a crowded contest. Congress is contesting 12 of the 24 seats, RJD nine, VIP two and CPI-ML one. On the NDA side, BJP is contesting 11, JD(U) 10 and LJP (Ram Vilas) three. AIMIM has fielded candidates in 15 constituencies.
Analysts say the real verdict will depend on how effectively parties have mobilised women voters, who turned out in notably high numbers this year. Final turnout figures will be released by the Election Commission later this week.
