Top NDA and INDIA bloc leaders made final appeals, stressing development, stability, and welfare.
Patna
Campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Tuesday, setting the stage for voting on November 6 across 121 constituencies in 18 districts. A total of 1,314 candidates are in the fray for this phase. The remaining 122 constituencies will vote on November 11, and the results will be declared on November 14.
In a spirited final day, political heavyweights from both the NDA and the INDIA bloc made their last appeals to voters. NDA leaders sought votes in the name of development and stability under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while the INDIA bloc, led by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, focused on job creation and welfare schemes.
Tejashwi announced key promises, including ₹30,000 transfers to women’s accounts on Makar Sankranti, free electricity for irrigation, and reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme. Political observers expect a close contest similar to the 2020 polls, where the NDA narrowly edged out the Opposition.
Prominent candidates in the first phase include Tejashwi Yadav (Raghopur), Tej Pratap Yadav (Mahua), Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur), and singer Maithili Thakur (Alinagar). Sixteen ministers from the Nitish Kumar government are contesting, with notable BJP names such as Vijay Kumar Sinha, Mangal Pandey, and Nitin Nabin, and JD(U)’s Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Maheshwar Hazari.
Security has been tightened across the state to ensure smooth polling on Thursday.