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EYE ON INDIA NOVEMBER 14, 2025 | The Indian Eye 6

NDA Rides on Record Turnout Wave,

Confident of Clean Sweep in Bihar First Phase

With a record voter turnout of 64.66 per cent in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections,
the Alliance exuded high confidence on Thursday, claiming that the numbers reflected a “massive

wave” in its favour and a rejection of “jungle raj politics”

OUR BUREAU
Patna / New Delhi
ihar’s first phase of the 2025 Assembly
elections concluded peacefully with a re-
Bcord-breaking turnout of 64.66 per cent, the
highest in the state’s history, marking what both the
Election Commission and political observers de-
scribed as a “festival of democracy.” But while the
Election Commission (EC) celebrated the record
turnout, the NDA leadership claimed it signalled
the consolidation of voter support behind the rul-
ing alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The voting was held across 121 constituencies
in 18 districts, with over 3.75 crore voters eligible
to cast their votes. Officials said the turnout could
rise further once all polling data from the 45,341
booths are updated on the ECINet platform.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Ku-
mar called it “a milestone in India’s electoral jour-
ney.” “Bihar has shown the way to the nation with
the highest voter turnout since 1951 and a smooth,
transparent process. Democracy wins,” he said.
The EC said polling was monitored via 100
per cent live webcasting for the first time in Bihar. Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a public rally during the Bihar assembly elections,
Over four lakh polling staff and 90,000 Jeevika Di-
dis assisted voters across the state, including wom- at East Champaran on Thursday. (@AmitShah X/ANI Photo)
en and senior citizens. Around two lakh elderly
voters aged above 85 cast their votes, with officials nance, marked by infrastructure expansion, rural any button other than the lotus or arrow” would
describing their participation as a symbol of “faith connectivity, women’s empowerment through Jee- bring back “anarchy and extortion.”
in democracy.” vika schemes, and social welfare outreach. Political analysts said the high turnout also
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a reflected a shift in Bihar’s political culture, where
interpret the record turnout as an endorsement of rally in Madhubani, predicted a sweeping victory for issues of governance and development are increas-
the NDA’s governance record. “In the first phase the NDA when results are declared on November ingly overshadowing caste-based alignments. “The
of voting in the Bihar Assembly elections, the 14. “RJD and Congress will be wiped out. The peo- NDA has successfully framed the election as a
NDA has gained a massive lead. Its wave is visible ple of Bihar have seen through their politics of cor- choice between governance and chaos,” said polit-
everywhere in the second phase as well,” he said in ruption, nepotism, and jungle raj,” Shah declared. ical observer Anil Singh.
a post on X. He launched a sharp attack on Lalu Prasad The first phase has set the tone for the remain-
The Prime Minister announced that he will Yadav and Rabri Devi, accusing them of “insulting der of the election, with both turnout and tone
address rallies in Aurangabad and Bhabua on Fri- Mithila and its heritage” during their 15-year rule. favouring the ruling alliance. While the RJD and
day as part of his campaign for the next round of “PM Modi restored pride to Mithila by honour- Congress continue to question the administration
voting. “Amid this enthusiasm of the people, I look ing Mata Sita, Makhana farmers, and Madhubani and accuse the BJP of manipulation, the NDA
forward to communicating with my family mem- painters,” he said. leadership appears buoyant and unified.
bers in Aurangabad at 1:45 p.m. and in Bhabua at Shah highlighted Modi’s push for regional As Bihar now looks toward the second phase of
3:30 p.m.,” he added. development, including a new Makhana Board to polling on November 11, NDA strategists believe
Modi’s remarks came as the BJP and JD(U) boost exports, and announced that a temple ded- the momentum is firmly in their favour. “This elec-
campaign machinery moved into overdrive. The icated to Mata Sita would be built in Sitamarhi at tion is not just about seats — it’s about trust,” a se-
BJP has fielded Trivikram Narayan Singh in Au- a cost of Rs. 850 crore. “Just as Ayodhya now has nior BJP campaign manager said. “And from what
rangabad against Congress MLA Anand Shankar a Ram Temple, Sitamarhi will soon have a divine we’ve seen so far, Bihar’s trust lies with the NDA.”
Singh, while in Bhabua, the BJP’s Bharat Bind fac- temple for Sita Maiya,” he said. The results will be declared on November 14,
es RJD’s Birendra Kumar Singh. Attacking the opposition, Shah said the but for the ruling alliance, the message from the
BJP leaders said the strong turnout reflected RJD-Congress alliance was “protecting infiltrators first phase is already loud and clear: a resurgent
“confidence in the Modi-Nitish model” of gover- and criminals” and warned voters that “pressing NDA feels the wind at its back.

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