Bihar Voter Turnout Crosses 64.4% in First Phase, Higher Than 2020 Polls - What Drove the Surge?

Patna: Bihar on Thursday recorded its highest-ever voter turnout in the last 73 years as far as the first phase of the Assembly Election 2025 is concerned. According to Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Gunjyal, the current voter turnout stands at 64.46 per cent, which has already surpassed polling percentage figures of previous elections in nearly seven decades. However, the polling percentage is only of the first round, therefore, the overall tally will only be known after the conclusion of phase 2, scheduled for November 11.The Chief Electoral Officer also informed that the final figure of the first phase will be updated shortly, as voting was still underway in some places.“The first phase of voting for the Bihar Assembly elections has been

successfully completed. Voting is still ongoing in some places, and we're updating data. The current voter turnout is 64.46 per cent. We will release the final press note in an hour after everything is updated. The participation of women voters was very good,” said Vinod Gunjyal.

Adding further to his statement, Gunjyal said, “During the voting, 165 ballot units, 169 control units, and 480 VVPATs were replaced. The final data will be available in the press release. And this time, we had to replace only 1.21 per cent of the ballot units in the first phase, while in the 2020 Assembly elections, 1.87 per cent of the EVMs were replaced... This means we needed to replace fewer EVMs this time.”Addressing a presser, Bihar Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Gunjyal said, "By the end of voting, 143 complaints were received. All were resolved on time. Furthermore, all complaints received directly by phone were resolved on time."Elaborating further on some isolated issues raised during the election, Bihar Chief Electoral officer said, "Information about boycotts was also received at some polling stations, including polling station number 56 in the Brahmapur assembly constituency of Buxar district, polling stations number 165 and 166 in the Fatuha assembly constituency, and polling stations number 1, 2, and 5 in Suryagarha, near Lakhisarai... No untoward incidents have been reported in the first phase of voting that concluded today. Voting was conducted peacefully and smoothly."Speaking after voter turn out provisional figures, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X said, "In the first phase of voting in the Bihar Assembly elections, the NDA has gained a massive lead. Along with this, its wave is visible everywhere in the second phase as well. Amidst this very enthusiasm of the people-public, tomorrow afternoon around 1:45 PM in Aurangabad and approximately 3:30 PM in Bhabhua, I will have the good fortune of conversing with my family members."Addressing the media after the first phase of Bihar election concluded on Thursday, ADG Kundan Krishnan said the polling concluded peacefully barring 2-3 random incidents. He said no firing was reported, and credited the intense checking, patrolling in last one month for the peaceful election."We came to know about 2-3 incidents. In Lakhisarai, deputy CM faced opposition from villagers, the DM, SP reached the spot immediately, the deputy CM was taken away. The second incident was reported from Saran, the sitting MLA Satyendra Yadav's vehicle was attacked. No injury has been reported. It can be said that the polling was peaceful. It was because of intense patrolling, checking in night. After the MCC came into force, the security personnel who came from outside, there was also Bihar Police, a record was made, a total of 850 illegal arms, 4,000 ammunition were recovered in a month, it was a big campaign. No firing incident was reported. Same force will be there during the second phase of polling."