In Bihar’s two-phased Assembly elections, 121 constituencies are set to go to the polls on Thursday in the first phase of voting.
The contest will see not only the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led NDA take on its primary rival in the Tejashwi Yadav-led Mahagathbandhan, but also the Assembly election debut of strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj.
In the 121 seats of the first phase that are concentrated in central Bihar, NDA in the 2020 Assembly polls bagged 59 seats, trailing the Mahagathbandhan at 61.
In 2020, the BJP had contested 49 of the 121 seats that will vote on November 6, and won 32. Its ally, the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), contested 65 of these seats and won 23. Mahagathbandhan leader RJD contested 71 of these 121 seats, and won 42, while ally Congress contested 31 and won only eight.
In these 121 seats, the NDA had collectively secured a 37.69% vote share in 2020, just behind the Mahagathbandhan at 38.06%.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the NDA had led in 95 Assembly segments among the first-phase seats, with the Mahagathbandhan ahead in 25 segments, and an Independent in one segment.
Since the 2020 Assembly polls, the composition of the alliances in Bihar has changed. While the Chirag Paswan-led LJP(RV) and the Upendra Kushwaha-led RLM are now in the NDA, the Mukesh Sahani-led VIP has joined forces with the Opposition.
However, following protracted seat-sharing talks that ended in an impasse, the Mahagathbandhan will be engaged in ‘friendly fights’ in five seats where more than one alliance member has fielded a candidate in the first phase. There are another six seats in the second phase where Opposition allies are up against each other.
At stake in Phase 1
Seats: 121 – including 19 SC-reserved
Turnout in 2020: 55.81%
The candidates
Candidates with criminal cases
RJD: 53 candidates with criminal cases (76% of RJD’s Phase 1 candidates)
354 or 27% of all candidates in Phase 1 face serious criminal cases, including murder and crimes against women
91 seats or 75% of those going to the polls in Phase 1 each have at least three candidates with criminal cases
At 8, the Kurhani seat in Muzaffarpur district has the most candidates with criminal cases
JD(U)’s Anant Kumar Singh, contesting Mokama, has the most pending cases at 28
Crorepati candidates
Jan Suraaj: 81 crorepati candidate (71% of all Jan Suraaj candidates)
Richest candidate: BJP’s Kumar Pranay, contesting Munger, is the richest candidate in Phase 1 with total assets worth Rs 170.82 crore
Poorest candidate: Two candidates from minor parties, contesting Darbhanga and Barh, have the lowest total assets at Rs 1,000 each
Average assets of candidates
BJP: Rs 11.3 crore per candidate on average
Oldest: 86-year-old Independent Shiv Das Singh, contesting Barhara
Youngest: 23 candidates are aged 25, the youngest eligible age to contest elections. They are largely Independents or from smaller parties, though BJP has fielded 25-year-old Bhojpuri singer Maithili Thakur
The big contests
Alinagar | Bhojpuri singer Maithili Thakur, BJP, vs Binod Mishra, RJD, vs Biplaw Kumar Choudhary, Jan Suraaj
Chapra | Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav, RJD, vs Chhoti Kumari, BJP, vs former mayor Rakhi Gupta, Independent, vs retired IPS officer Jai Prakash Singh, Jan Suraaj
Danapur | Former Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav, BJP, vs sitting MLA Rit Lal Roy, RJD
Lakhisarai | Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, BJP, vs Amaresh Kumar, Congress, vs Suraj Kumar, Jan Suraaj
Mokama | Bahubali-turned-politician Anant Kumar Singh, JD(U), vs Bahubali-turned-politician Surajbhan Singh’s wife Veena Devi, RJD
Raghopur | Ex-Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, RJD, vs ex-MLA Satish Kumar, BJP, vs Chanchal Kumar, Jan Suraaj
Saharsa | Indian Inclusive Party chief I P Gupta, vs former state minister Alok Ranjan, BJP, vs former Independent MLA Kishor Kumar, Jan Suraaj
Siwan | State Health Minister Mangal Pandey, BJP, vs ex-Speaker Awadhi Bihari Choudhary, RJD, vs Intekhab Ahmad, Jan Suraaj
Tarapur | Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, BJP, vs ex-MLA Arun Kumar, RJD, vs Dr Santosh Singh, Jan Suraaj
