Bihar votes in final round of polling, 60.4% turnout by 3 PM

Mangalore Today News Network

Patna, Nov 11, 2025: The second phase of the assembly election in Bihar began this morning. Polling is being held on 122 assembly seats across multiple districts of the state. A chunk of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet is up for polls in this round.

Here are the top 10 points from this big story:

1. A voter turnout of 60.4 per cent has been recorded till 3 pm. A total of 1,302 candidates are in the fight, 136 (about 10 per cent) of them women. Polling is being held in 45,399 centres, and the number of eligible electors is 3.70 crore -- 1.95 crore men and 1.74 crore women.

2. This phase is being seen as a test of strength for minor NDA partners - Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha, and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha, both of which are contesting six seats each. Manjhi’s daughter-in-law, Deepa Manjhi, and Kushwaha’s wife, Snehalata Kushwaha, are also contesting.

3. Twelve ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet are contesting in this phase -- Bijendra Prasad Yadav (Supaul), Sumit Kumar Singh (Chakai), Mohd Zama Khan (Chainpur), Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), Krishna Nandan Paswan (Harsidhi), Renu Devi (Bettiah), Neeraj Kumar Bablu (Chhatapur), Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur), Prem Kumar (Gaya), Sheila Mandal (Phulparas), Vijay Mandal (Sikti), and Jayant Raj Kushwaha (Amarpur).

4. The districts going to polls in the second phase include West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj, all of which share borders with Nepal.

5. Four of the districts going to the polls today are in the Seemanchal region, which has a significant concentration of the Muslim population, making this phase crucial for both the ruling and the opposition alliances.

6. Among the most-watched constituencies in this phase is the Kahalgaon Assembly seat in Bhagalpur district, which is set to witness a four-cornered contest. Mahagathbandhan allies RJD and the Congress are engaged in a friendly fight in this constituency. Also in fray is the ruling Janata Dal United. The BJP’s sitting legislator, Pawan Kumar Yadav, has turned rebel and is contesting as an Independent. 

7. The other key candidates in the fray include state Congress chief Rajesh Kumar, who hopes to retain the reserved seat of Kutumba for a second consecutive term; former assembly speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary (RJD), Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan, and CPI-ML Legislature Party leader Mehboob Alam.

8. Other prominent candidates include BJP’s Shreyasi Singh, a 2008 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, and Bhojpuri singer and actor Ritesh Pandey, who has joined Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party. 

9. Security has been strengthened for the second phase with over 4 lakh personnel pressed into service.

10. The state recorded a record voter turnout of over 65 per cent in the first phase of the election last week. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.