Bihar recorded a historic 66.91% voter turnout in the 2025 Assembly elections.
Women voters showed remarkable enthusiasm, recording a 71.6% turnout — significantly higher than the 62.8% turnout among men.
Vote counting on November 14, 2025, will decide whether Nitish Kumar retains power or Bihar witnesses a political change.
The Bihar Assembly Election 2025 has entered its decisive stage, with the second and final phase of polling concluding on November 11. This election, spread across two phases, has been one of the most closely watched contests in recent years. Voters across 122 constituencies in 20 districts cast their ballots in the second phase, marking the end of an intense and competitive campaign season. Now comes the moment of decision — the result date, which will be on November 14, 2025.
The election has been viewed as a battle for Bihar’s political future, determining whether Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U)-BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will retain power or if Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD-led INDIA bloc (Mahagathbandhan) will take over. The contest has also seen the emergence of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) as a new political force attempting to reshape the state’s political landscape.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Bihar recorded an overall voter turnout of 66.91%, the highest in the state’s history since 1951. The first phase of voting, held on November 6, covered 121 constituencies in 18 districts, with 64.66% turnout — higher than the 57.29% recorded in the 2020 polls.
The second phase, conducted on November 11, saw even greater participation across 20 districts. Female voter participation stood out, with 71.6% women voters compared to 62.8% men, indicating a strong presence of women in this year’s electoral process.
The counting of votes and official declaration of results will begin at 8:00 AM on Friday, November 14, 2025, with final results expected by evening. Initial trends are likely to emerge within the first few hours, and the Election Commission will release verified data later in the evening.
In the outgoing assembly, the NDA holds 132 seats, comfortably above the majority mark of 122 in the 243-member House. The RJD, which was the single largest party in 2020, currently has 75 MLAs, followed by the Congress (19) and CPI(ML)-Liberation (12).
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has been a defining figure in Bihar’s politics for nearly two decades, faces the challenge of defending his government amid issues of unemployment, infrastructure gaps, migration, and anti-incumbency. On the other hand, Tejashwi Yadav has built his campaign around the promise of jobs and development, appealing particularly to Bihar’s large youth population.
Adding a new dynamic to this election is Prashant Kishor, the renowned political strategist turned politician, whose Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) contested independently, seeking to disrupt the traditional bipolar politics between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan.
This year’s election revolved around themes such as unemployment, corruption, migration, and the quality of public services. The debate also extended to concerns over anti-incumbency and allegations of irregularities in the special voter list revision. The opposition has repeatedly accused the ruling government of “vote chori,” suggesting possible collusion between the Election Commission of India and the central government.
The Bihar Assembly Election 2025 has proven to be one of the most intense and competitive state elections in recent memory. With record voter participation, strong female turnout, and a surge of public interest, the state awaits a crucial verdict. All eyes are on November 14, 2025, when counting begins and the people’s verdict will decide whether Nitish Kumar’s NDA continues its governance or a new political chapter begins for Bihar. [Rh]
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