Tejashwi Yadav vs Satish Kumar, Maithili Thakur vs Binod Mishra… Unmissable contests in Phase 1 of Bihar polls

Bihar is voting today for the first phase of the Assembly elections. Of the total 243 seats, voters in 121 constituencies across 18 districts will exercise their franchise in the initial phase.

A total of 1,314 candidates are in the race in Phase 1 of the Bihar Assembly elections. Voting for the second phase of the polls – on the remaining 122 seats – will be held on November 11. Counting of votes is slated for November 14.

The Mahagathbandhan, a coalition comprising the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Left parties and others, is challenging the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), made up of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) or LJP-RV, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).

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As Bihar heads to polls, we take a look at the key contests to watch out for in the first phase.

Tarapur

Tarapur in the Munger district is likely to be a close contest. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is up against RJD’s Arun Shah.

The constituency was a JD(U) bastion for a decade, won by Neeta Choudhary in 2010 and Mewa Lal Choudhary twice in 2015 and 2020.

Tarapur consists of a significant population from various communities, including the Yadavs, Muslims, Rajputs, Brahmins, Kushwahas, and Dalits. They could sway the election in favour of either of the two main candidates.

Choudhary, a sitting BJP MLC, is in the fray after 15 years. RJD’s Shah unsuccessfully contested from Tarapur in a 2021 bypoll, losing by a slim margin of just over 3,800 votes to the JD(U)’s Rajiv Kumar Singh.

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Raghopur

Raghopur, an RJD fortress, is witnessing a high-stakes contest between the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, and NDA candidate Satish Kumar (BJP).  Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) has fielded Chanchal Kumar from the constituency.

14 नवंबर के बाद दो चीज़ें होने जा रही हैं!
एक बिहार आबाद - दूसरा बिहारी ज़िंदाबाद !

📍मोरवा, समस्तीपुर में राजद प्रत्याशी श्री रणविजय साहू के समर्थन में चुनावी संबोधन pic.twitter.com/PaoYz3uobR

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) November 4, 2025

Raghopur, dominated by Yadavs, has mostly been with the RJD since former Bihar chief minister and party founder Lalu Prasad Yadav secured a victory first in 1995. He won it again in 2000. His wife and former CM Rabri Devi represented the constituency thrice.

Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) bagged the seat in 2010. In 2015, Tejashwi beat Satish Kumar by a margin of 22,733 votes, avenging his mother’s defeat five years ago.

The RJD leader has since held the constituency. This time, it is a battle of prestige for Tejashwi as he is the Mahagathbandhan’s CM face.

Mahua

Lalu Yadav’s estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav is in the race from the Mahua constituency in Vaishali district. RJD’s Mukesh Kumar Raushan, the current MLA, is vying to retain the seat. LJP-RV’s Sanjay Singh is also a contender.

Tej Pratap had secured the seat with a 43.34 per cent vote share in the 2015 Assembly polls on RJD’s ticket. In 2020, he moved to Hasanpur, leaving Mahua to the RJD’s Raushan.

After being expelled from the RJD in May this year, Tej Pratap went on to float his own party, the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD). He is hoping to pull off his 2015 victory from Mahua again.

Mokama

Mokama has gained the spotlight in recent days due to JD(U) candidate Anant Kumar Singh. The “baahubali” leader, who has won the seat four times but from different parties, was arrested last week in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj supporter Dular Chand Yadav.

Singh is facing RJD’s Veena Devi from Mokama in Patna district. In 2020, the controversial politician had fought and won Mokama on an RJD ticket with a 52.99 per cent vote share, besting JD(U)’s Rajeev Lochan Narayan Singh.

ALSO READ: Why Bihar’s final electoral roll has 47 lakh less voters

Alinagar

BJP has given a ticket to 25-year-old folk singer Maithili Thakur from Alinagar in Darbhanga district. She is contesting against RJD’s seasoned politician Binod Mishra and JSP’s Biplaw Kumar Chowdhary.

The classically trained folk and devotional singer, who has become the face of Mithila with her songs, joined the saffron party in October. Her nomination has drawn much attention. During the campaign, she proposed renaming Alinagar to Sitanagar, invoking Goddess Sita, a deeply revered deity across the Mithila region.

हर वर्ग कर चुका है तय
NDA की भव्य होगी विजय pic.twitter.com/qFF0IaRG6R

— Maithili Thakur (@maithilithakur) November 5, 2025

Alinagar has long been an RJD stronghold, with veteran Abdul Bari Siddiqui winning the constituency seven times till 2015. He bowed out after his 2015 victory. Five years later, Mishri Lal Yadav of the Vikassheel Insaan Party emerged as the winner, defeating RJD’s Mishra by just over 3,000 votes.

Lakhisarai

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha is the BJP candidate from Lakhisarai. This is his sixth battle for the constituency, where he is facing JSP’s Suraj Kumar.

Lakhisarai has been a BJP bastion for the past three consecutive Assembly polls – 2010, 2015, and 2020, with caste factors working in its favour.

Sinha, a Bhumihar leader, became the BJP’s first-ever Speaker in the Bihar Assembly after the party formed the government in an alliance with JD(U) in 2020. He was later picked as the state’s deputy CM.

Arrah

BJP’s Sanjay Singh “Tiger” is fighting from Arrah against JSP’s Vijay Kumar Gupta and CPI (ML)’s Quyamuddin Ansari.

The seat has swayed between the BJP and the RJD since the 2010 Assembly elections. In the 2015 bypoll, RJD candidate Mohammad Nawaz Alam won from Arrah.

In 2020, Amrendra Pratap Singh of the BJP triumphed over Ansari by a small margin of 3,002 votes.

Other key seats

Ratnesh Kushwaha, a 45-year-old lawyer, is the BJP’s candidate from its stronghold Patna Sahib Assembly constituency in Bihar’s capital. He has replaced 72-year-old Nand Kishore Yadav as the party’s candidate. Kushwaha is up against Congress debutant Shashant Shekhar, 35.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Bihar chief Akhtarul Iman is battling to retain the Amour Assembly constituency, which falls under the Kishanganj Lok Sabha constituency. He is facing Congress’ Abdul Jalil Mastan and Saba Zafar of JD(U).

Professor and author Krishna Chandra Sinha is the candidate of Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party from the Kumhrar Assembly seat. He is being challenged by BJP’s Sanjay Kumar and Indradeep Kumar Chandravanshi of the Congress.