Second phase of Bihar Assembly polls underway across 20 districts

The second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began on Tuesday, November 11 morning across 122 constituencies in 20 districts, marking a crucial stage in the state’s electoral process. Polling commenced at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m., with around 3.7 crore voters eligible to decide the political fate of 12 ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet.

A total of 45,399 polling stations have been established, including 40,073 in rural and 5,326 in urban areas. Among them are 595 all-women polling booths, 316 model stations, and 91 booths managed by persons with disabilities. Mock polling was conducted earlier in the day to ensure smooth functioning and preparedness.

According to the Election Commission, the electorate in this phase includes 1.95 crore men, 1.74 crore women, and 943 third-gender voters.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—comprising BJP, JD(U), HAM(S), and LJP (RV)—is eyeing a consecutive term, while the Mahagathbandhan alliance of RJD, Congress, Left parties, and VIP seeks to return to power. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is also contesting independently in a bid to gain political ground.

Among the key JD(U) candidates in the fray are Vijendra Yadav (Supaul), Lesi Singh (Dhamdaha), Jayant Kushwaha (Amarpur), Sumit Singh (Chakai), Mohammad Jama Khan (Chainpur), and Sheela Mandal (Phoolparas).
From the BJP, contenders include Prem Kumar (Gaya), Renu Devi (Bettiah), Vijay Kumar Mandal (Sikati), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Neeraj Bablu (Chhatapur), and Krishnanandan Paswan (Harsiddhi).

Several constituencies are witnessing high-profile contests. In Sasaram, Snehlata Kushwaha, wife of RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, is facing RJD’s Satendra Sah and Jan Suraaj’s Binay Kumar Singh. Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM(S) is contesting from Imamganj, with RJD’s Ritu Priya Chaudhary as a key rival.
In Mohania, BJP’s Sangita Kumari, a former RJD member, is battling independent candidate Ravi Shankar Paswan, backed by the Mahagathbandhan.
Bihpur has turned into a triangular contest among BJP’s Kumar Shailendra, VIP’s Arpana Kumari, and Jan Suraaj’s Pawan Choudhary.

Other notable battles include Shailesh Kumar (JD-U) vs. Prem Sagar (VIP) in Gopalpur, and Murari Paswan (BJP) vs. Ram Vilash Paswan (RJD) in Pirpainti. In Bhagalpur, Congress MLA Ajeet Sharma faces BJP’s Rohit Pandey and Jan Suraaj’s Abhay Kant Jha in a tight contest.

In Nagrota (Jammu and Kashmir), where a bypoll is being held, Assistant Returning Officer Sumit Kohli reported the setup of 150 polling booths and urged voters to participate in large numbers. “We have 97,379 voters here and strong security arrangements. People should not be concerned about safety,” he said.

Simultaneously, bye-elections are being conducted in eight assembly constituencies across six states and one Union Territory, including Budgam and Nagrota (J&K), Anta (Rajasthan), Ghatsila (Jharkhand), Jubilee Hills (Telangana), Tarn Taran (Punjab), Dampa (Mizoram), and Nuapada (Odisha).

In the 2020 Assembly elections, of the same 122 seats, BJP had won 42, RJD 33, JD(U) 20, Congress 11, and Left parties 5. The first phase of the 2025 Bihar elections recorded a record 65.08% voter turnout—the highest in the state’s electoral history.