Bihar Phase 1 Polls: Bihar Scripts History with 64.66% Voter Turnout, Highest in 25 Years
Record polling fuels 'good governance' vs jobs battle.
Bihar scripted electoral history on Thursday as nearly 65% of its 3.75 crore voters—specifically 64.66%—flocked to polls in the first phase across 121 constituencies, shattering the state's previous record of 62.57% from 2000 and signaling a fiercely contested showdown between the ruling NDA's "sushasan" pitch and the opposition INDIA bloc's promise of jobs for every household. The Election Commission hailed the peaceful, festive voting in 18 districts, with women leading the surge in enthusiasm, as Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal noted their massive turnout amid stray violence reports, including an alleged attack on Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha's convoy in Lakhisarai.
The NDA, anchored by Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and BJP, banks on two decades of stability, welfare perks like 125 units of free electricity, Rs 10,000 transfers to over a crore women, and hiked pensions to fend off anti-incumbency whispers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning for phase two, celebrated the women's wave as a bulwark against RJD's "jungle raj" revival, predicting a fortress of votes for continuity. Yet, with 1,314 candidates including heavyweights like Tejashwi Yadav, Samrat Choudhary, and ministers in the fray, the stakes echo nationally as a 2029 mood meter post the controversial Special Intensive Revision of rolls, slammed by opposition for voter list tampering.
Opposition firebrand Tejashwi Yadav's RJD-Congress alliance counters with a youth-centric manifesto vowing employment in every home, dismissing NDA boasts as hollow amid economic woes. RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad fired up X with a roti analogy: "If not flipped after 20 years, it burns—Tejashwi's government is Bihar's fresh start." RJD cried foul over slowed voting in strongholds and power cuts, charges the EC swatted down, while Sinha blamed RJD goons for voter intimidation targeting backward classes—tit-for-tat barbs underscoring the raw caste arithmetic of Yadavs, Kushwahas, Kurmis, Brahmins, and Dalits that sways outcomes.
Enter wildcard Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party, positioning as the dark horse with bold vows to vault Bihar into India's top ranks, including axing the booze ban that's drained state coffers. Kishor's anti-establishment swagger has captivated disillusioned voters, potentially splintering votes in a triangular tussle that could upend traditional loyalties. Districts like Muzaffarpur (70.96%) and Samastipur (70.63%) topped turnouts, while urban Patna lagged at 57.93%, blamed on apathetic city slickers in seats like Bankipur and Digha.
With phase two looming on November 11 and results on the 14th, this turnout tsunami—up from 57.29% in COVID-shadowed 2020—amplifies every narrative, from NDA's development drumbeat to INDIA's change clarion. Beyond local power plays, it's a caste calculus crystal ball for national politics, where Bihar's pulse could ripple to Delhi by 2029. As allegations simmer and enthusiasm peaks, one thing's clear: Bihar's voters aren't just casting ballots—they're forging the state's next chapter.
Also Read: Bihar Phase 1 Polls: 42.31% Turnout by 1PM, Gopalganj Leads Early Surge
