Bihar elections: Voting begins in 121 Assembly seats for first phase

Voting for 121 of the 243 Assembly seats in the first phase of the Bihar elections began at 7.30 am on Thursday.

Polling is being held at 45,341 stations, most of them in rural areas. Of the 3.75 crore voters in these constituencies, 10.72 lakh are first-time voters, including 7.38 lakh aged 18-19 years.

The total population of these constituencies is 6.6 crore. Of these, about three crore people are not eligible to vote, mostly because they are underage.

The main contest in Bihar is between the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan. Former political strategist Prashant Kishor’s newly-launched party Jan Suraaj is also making its electoral debut this election.

The NDA comprises the Janata Dal (United), the Bharatiya Janata Party, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and the Hindustani Awam Morcha.

The Mahagathbandhan includes the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, the Vikassheel Insaan Party, and three Left parties – the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of India, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – along with the newly formed Indian Inclusive Party.

Among the prominent candidates in the fray are the Opposition’s chief ministerial candidate and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary of the Bharatiya...

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