Overview
- Polling opened at 7 am across 18 districts, with voting running through the day and some stations closing at 5 pm for security reasons.
- About 45,341 polling stations are operating, most in rural areas, with EVMs and VVPATs handed over to polling parties.
- Key contests include Tejashwi Yadav in Raghopur, deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary in Tarapur and Vijay Kumar Sinha in Lakhisarai, along with several cabinet ministers.
- High-profile fights feature Mokama, where JD(U)’s Anant Kumar Singh is contesting from jail against RJD’s Veena Devi, and seats with newcomers such as Maithili Thakur, Khesari Lal Yadav and Ritesh Pandey.
- Phase 2 voting is on November 11 with results on November 14, as an ADR report highlights that roughly a third of Phase 2 candidates have declared criminal cases, including many with serious charges.