A record turnout of 64.66% was recorded in the first phase of Bihar Elections 2025. Even in areas under Bahubali influence, voters cast their votes fearlessly, which is a sign of the weakening of the politics of fear. Due to this the competition on these seats has become tough.
Patna: A record-breaking 64.66% voting has been recorded on 121 seats in the first phase of Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, breaking all previous records in the 74-year democratic history of the state. But the biggest political story of this phase is not this, but the boldness with which voters have cast their votes in high-profile seats that have been notorious for panic and pressure for decades.
Even in seats where there was a possibility of tension—like Mokama, Danapur, and Raghunathpur—peaceful and enthusiastic voting was recorded. This development is a clear indication of Bihar’s growing political maturity and voters’ growing confidence in good governance.
Enthusiasm in the areas of the bullies: End of ‘politics of fear’
In this phase, names like Anant Singh, Surajbhan Singh, Ritlal Yadav, Hulas Pandey, Osama Shahab and Shivani Shukla were in discussion. The high voting percentage on these seats proves that even the supporters of the opposing camp are now coming openly to vote.
- In the first phase of Bihar Elections 2025, despite the presence of strong candidates on many seats, voters cast their votes fearlessly in large numbers, due to which the competition in these areas became tough.
- Mokama seat, which became the arena for a direct contest between JDU’s Anant Singh and RJD’s Veena Devi, recorded 62.16% voting. This high voting percentage clearly indicates that the pressure from any one group did not work, and there was a tough and equal fight between the two parties.
- After this, Munna Shukla’s daughter and youth candidate Shivani Shukla attracted youth and women from Lalganj seat, resulting in 60.17% voting. This activism emphasizes youth and women’s power, different from traditional power politics.
- In Brahmpur seat, even in the presence of Hulash Pandey, a candidate with a strong image, voters reached the booth without fear and turned out 58.00%, which shows that the contest is more heated than expected and there will be no easy victory for anyone.
- At the same time, in Danapur seat, there was a direct contest between RJD’s Ritlal Yadav (in whose place his daughter Shweta Sinha was campaigning) and BJP’s veteran Ramkripal Yadav. There was 55.27% peaceful voting here, which indicated that voters voted on the basis of development and party rather than personal image.
- Finally, the sensitive Raghunathpur seat in Siwan, the first election for the political legacy of late Shahabuddin’s son Osama Shahab, witnessed 51.18% voting amid tight security arrangements. This voting shows that for young voters this seat is no longer just about heritage, but also about the issues of the future.