 "The second phase of voting for the Bihar Assembly election began at 7 am today. (ANI)")
The second and final phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly election began at 7 am on Tuesday, November 11, in 122 constituencies spread across 20 districts. A total of 1,302 candidates are in the fray for 122 seats in the Bihar Assembly. The Election Commission of India (ECI) said the polling in Bihar was underway at 45,399 polling stations, 5,326 in urban areas and 40,073 in rural regions.
More than half of the electorate, approximately 2.28 crore voters, are between 30 and 60 years of age, while 7.69 lakh are in the 18–19 years age group. The total number of women voters across these constituencies stands at 1.75 crore.
Here are the live updates from the Bihar Assembly election polling:
- BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal predicts over 70% turnout, confident of 200+ seats in Bihar elections
- Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram arrives at polling booth in an e-rickshaw
- Bihar records voting turnout of 14.55%
Bihar recorded a voter turnout of 14.55% till 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Among the 20 districts, Gaya registered the highest turnout at 15.97%, while Madhubani reported the lowest at 13.25%.
- CM Nitish Kumar urges people to cast their vote
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday appealed to the people of the state to cast their votes in the second phase of the assembly elections and fulfil their democratic responsibility. In a post on X, the CM urged citizens to make voting their top priority. “In democracy, voting is not only our right but also our duty. Today, voting for the second phase of the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections is taking place – all voters are urged to exercise their voting rights without fail. Vote and inspire others to do so as well. Vote first, then refreshments!” Kumar wrote on X
- RJD leader Shakti Singh Yadav says Bihar voters showing strong support for Mahagathbandhan
He said, “On 16th November, votes were cast in 121 constituencies for change… Over 80% of seats show signs of a public trend favouring the Mahagathbandhan candidates. Today is the second phase… There is uneasiness among those who, by seizing power, have pushed Bihar into disarray. They have made it a victim of administrative chaos. But the enthusiasm in today’s voting, the long queues everywhere, and the smiles on women’s faces are visible… The people of Bihar want to see Tejashwi Yadav’s face at the swearing-in ceremony on the 18th…"
Voting across key regions and reserved constituencies
In the first phase of polling, held on November 6 across 121 constituencies in 18 districts, Bihar recorded its highest-ever voter turnout at 64.66%.
The final phase includes assembly constituencies across the Magadh, Mithilanchal, Seemanchal, Shahabad, and Tirhut regions. Of the 122 constituencies, 101 are general seats, 19 are reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC), and two for the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Alongside the state election, by-elections are taking place in Budgam and Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, Anta in Rajasthan, Ghatshila in Jharkhand, Jubilee Hills in Telangana, Tarn Taran in Punjab, Dampa in Mizoram, and Nuapada in Odisha.
PM Modi urges people of Bihar to vote
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged young voters to turn out in large numbers to cast their votes in the ongoing elections.
PM Modi took to X and said, “Today is the second and final phase of voting in the Bihar Assembly elections. My request to all voters is that they participate actively in it and create a new record for voting. I have a special appeal to the young companions of the state who are going to vote for the first time that they should not only cast their vote themselves but also inspire others to do so.”
Bihar voted for 121 assembly seats on November 6. Votes in all assembly constituencies will be counted on November 14. Incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar eyes to extend his term with a fresh mandate for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a coalition he has been leading in Bihar for decades.
Nitish Kumar is being challenged in the election by Tejashwi Yadav, who teamed up with the Bihar CM briefly during 2015-17 and served as the deputy chief minister of the state. Tejashwi Yadav has led a multi-party coalition, the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan, in the election with an eye to make a comeback to power.
Tejashwi Yadav is the younger son of former Bihar CMs Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi who led various governments between 1990 and 2005 in Bihar. The tenures of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi have infamously earned the epithet of Jungle Raj in Bihar, and this has been a recurring theme in elections since the turn of the 21st Century.
This year’s Bihar Assembly election also saw poll-strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor take a political plunge with his Jan Suraj party. He campaigned for months leading up to the assembly election. Prashant Kishor has worked as election strategists for both the two principal political camps, rivalling in the assembly polls to capture power in Bihar.