Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began at 7 a.m. on Thursday across 18 districts amid tight security arrangements. Polling is being held in 121 Assembly constituencies, with 1,314 candidates contesting, 1,192 men and 122 women.
According to the Election Commission, a total of 3.75 crore voters, including 1.98 crore men, 1.76 crore women, and 758 third-gender voters, are eligible to decide the fate of the candidates.
A total of 45,341 polling stations have been set up, including 36,733 in rural areas and 8,608 in urban areas. Of these, 320 have been declared model polling stations, 926 are managed by women, and 107 are managed by persons with disabilities (PwDs). The Election Commission said that webcasting facilities have been arranged for all polling stations to ensure transparency and real-time monitoring.
Polling will continue until 6 p.m. in general booths, while voting in six constituencies in Naxal-affected regions will close an hour earlier, at 5 p.m., as a precautionary measure. A mock poll was conducted between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., in the presence of booth-level agents, to ensure smooth functioning of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and other equipment before voting began.
The first phase of polling is being conducted in Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, Madhepura, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, and Buxar.
Unprecedented security measures have been implemented across these districts. Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed at all polling stations, with special patrols assigned to sensitive and hyper-sensitive areas to prevent any disturbances. Officials confirmed that 15 battalions of security personnel have been stationed across the state for the smooth conduct of the polls.
In Patna district, there are 5,677 polling stations, including 541 women-only booths, 49 model stations, 14 PwD-friendly polling stations, and 3 youth-themed booths. The district administration stated that security personnel are posted at every booth to maintain order and curb the spread of rumours.
In Muzaffarpur, voting is underway across 4,186 polling stations for 11 Assembly seats, where 32.98 lakh electors are eligible to cast their votes.
Meanwhile, in Lakhisarai, all polling officers collected EVMs and related materials from Gandhi Maidan on Wednesday. Given that several booths in this district are in Naxal-affected zones, voting there will end at 5 p.m. Officials confirmed that all polling staff have been equipped with vehicles, EVMs, and essential materials for the exercise.
In Samastipur, where 10 Assembly constituencies are voting today, 29.32 lakh voters will cast their ballots at 3,603 polling stations. The District Election Department said that special measures have been taken to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections across all booths.
