Patna: The intense campaign for the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Sunday evening, bringing an end to a fiercely contested race characterized by sharp rhetoric, caste dynamics, and clashing claims of governance and development. Following a record voter turnout of nearly 65 percent in the first phase of polling, attention now turns to the second and final phase, where 122 constituencies will cast their votes on Tuesday. The vote counting is scheduled for November 14. Prominent leaders from various political parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, participated in multiple rallies in a final attempt to persuade undecided voters.
The NDA focused on its development achievements, while the INDIA bloc aimed to address youth dissatisfaction, unemployment, and narratives of social justice. As the weeks of political rallies and heated debates draw to a close, the upcoming phase is anticipated to influence the power dynamics in Bihar, making it one of the most closely monitored state elections in recent history. Bihar witnessed a voter turnout of 65.08 percent in the first phase of the Assembly elections held on November 6, marking the highest turnout in the state’s electoral history.
The Election Commission reported that 3.75 crore voters were eligible to participate across 45,341 polling stations, including 36,733 located in rural areas, to determine the fate of 1,314 candidates — consisting of 1,192 men and 122 women. According to the latest data from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, this turnout signifies an increase of 7.79 percentage points compared to the 57.29 percent recorded during the 2020 assembly elections. Of the total electorate, 1.98 crore were men and 1.76 crore women, with officials noting a significant turnout among women voters.
