The state witnessed a historic voter turnout of 64.66%, the highest ever in its electoral history. The Election Commission confirmed the figure, surpassing the previous record of 62.57% set in 2000. Bihar had last seen a similar level of enthusiasm during the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, which recorded 64.6% polling.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar hailed the record participation, thanking voters for their enthusiasm and lauding officials for their efficient handling of the polls.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted positively to the turnout, calling it a sign of strong support for the ruling NDA alliance. In a post on X, he expressed confidence that the NDA had secured a decisive edge in the first phase and predicted continued success in the upcoming rounds.
However, the polling day also saw moments of tension. In Lakhisarai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha’s convoy was attacked during a visit to polling booths. Angry crowds reportedly hurled stones and footwear, prompting Sinha to accuse RJD supporters of orchestrating the attack. He later warned that “bulldozers will roll” against those responsible.
The first phase covered 121 constituencies, featuring 1,314 candidates and over 3.75 crore eligible voters. Several prominent leaders were in the fray, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, BJP’s Samrat Choudhary, Tej Pratap Yadav, JD(U)’s Anant Singh, as well as singer Maithili Thakur and Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav.
With record participation and intense political contests, Bihar’s first phase has set the stage for one of the most closely watched elections in recent years.
