Patna: The first phase of the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, covering 121 seats, has opened with strong signs of increased engagement among women voters — and political parties are clearly taking note.
Key developments & what’s at stake
According to live updates, many polling stations are recording visible clusters of women voters arriving early — signalling an active participation that parties believe could tilt outcomes.
Overall turnout by 11 a.m. stood at 27.65 % across the seats in Phase 1.
While exact breakdowns by gender aren’t widely published yet, anecdotal reports suggest the women-voter share is comparatively stronger in key booths.
Women‐specific strategies by parties
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance is placing strong emphasis on welfare schemes and appealing to female voters as a decisive block.
The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) + Congress alliance (the “Mahagathbandhan”) has responded with promises of monthly cash support for women and emphasising candidate selection to bolster female turnout.
Concerns & caveats
In a somewhat worrying signal for the pro-women-voter narrative, the Election Commission of India (EC) data shows that six assembly constituencies have recorded a decline in the number of registered women voters between draft and final rolls — five of these are in the Seemanchal and Champaran regions.
Analysts warn that turnout alone may not be decisive — how the women voters cast their ballot (which alliance they favour, and whether they vote in the same pattern as 2020 or shift) will matter enormously.
Why women voters matter more this time
Women voters constitute roughly half the electorate of Bihar; any tilt in their turnout or voting behaviour can influence close contests significantly.
With welfare schemes, employment pledges and targeted outreach dominating campaign narratives, both major alliances are treating women voters not just as passive participants but as strategic – even king-maker – block.
A heightened female turnout often signals broader voter mobilisation and may reflect on the overall cleanliness and reach of the electoral process (e.g., accessibility of booths, support mechanisms for women, and voter-awareness levels).
Voter turn-out till 1.00pm
According to reports, in the first phase of Bihar Assembly Elections, 42.31% voter turnout recorded till 1:00 pm. Gopalganj recorded the highest turnout of 46.73%, followed by Lakhisarai with 46.37% and Begusarai with 46.02%, till 1:00 pm. Patna continued to record sluggish voter turnout among all districts with a turnout of 37.72%, reported NDTV.
Who have voted so far?
The first phase of the Bihar assembly polls saw several senior political figures cast their votes early on Thursday. Some of the early voters were RJD leader and INDIA bloc Chief Minister candidate Tejashwi Yadav, who voted in Patna alongside his family. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad also cast his franchise.
Other prominent voters included Union minister Giriraj Singh and Bihar
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha cast his ballot in Lakhisarai. Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh voted ‘Lalan’ in Patna.
Deputy CM’s car attacked
RJD supporters surrounded Deputy CM and BJP candidate from Lakhisarai constituency, Vijay Kumar Sinha’s car, hurled slippers, pelted stones and cow dung and chanted “Murdabad”, as he visited Khoriari village in his constituency, reported the ANI. The Deputy CM spoke to SP on the phone following the incident.
Sinha said he would not let ‘jungle raj’ prevail in Bihar after his vehicle was attacked. “I will not let Jungle Raj prevail in Bihar. There will be no jungle raj in Bihar as long as Vijay Sinha is there,” he told ANI.
