Vote in Interest of Democracy, Constitution, Humanity: Tejashwi
He also appealed to voters to support the Mahagathbandhan's candidates to replace the “dilapidated” NDA government
Patna: Mahagathbandhan Chief Ministerial candidate and RJD leader from Raghopur, Tejashwi Yadav, appealed to the people of Bihar to exercise their right to vote as polling began on Thursday in 121 constituencies across 18 districts in the first phase of the state assembly elections.
Stressing that the "destiny of Bihar" depends on every vote, Tejashwi urged people to vote in the interest of "democracy, the constitution, and humanity."
He also appealed to voters to support the Mahagathbandhan's candidates to replace the “dilapidated” NDA government.
Taking to X, Tejashwi wrote, “Today is an important day for voting. The future destiny of Bihar will be determined by the single button you press. You need to vote in the interest of democracy, the constitution, and humanity.”
“I want to appeal to all voters — especially the Gen-Z voting for the first time, mothers and sisters, traders, farmers, migrants living in other states, every common citizen, students preparing for jobs, patients undergoing treatment, and every eligible voter in Bihar — that you must vote, you must vote in all circumstances. Bihar will prosper only when all of you exercise your vote,” he added.
In a video message attached to his post, Tejashwi urged people to vote for a “corruption- and crime-free” Bihar.
“This is my appeal that everyone exercise their right to vote. I appeal to you to elect Mahagathbandhan’s candidates with a big majority and change this dilapidated government. Make Bihar a corruption- and crime-free state,” he said.
He also urged people to make their family members aware of the lack of employment, industry, IT parks, data centres, and agro-based industries in the state, saying that many people were migrating for education, employment, and healthcare.
Tejashwi further appealed to voters to report any discrepancies at polling booths to Election Commission officials.
Voting for the first phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections began at 7:00 am, covering approximately 3.75 crore electors. Polling will conclude at 6 pm, though in some constituencies, it will end at 5 pm due to security concerns.
Voting is also underway in Tejashwi Yadav's Raghopur constituency, where he faces a tough challenge from BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav, who lost to him in the 2020 Assembly elections.
The incumbent RJD MLA and Leader of the Opposition has been a dominant force in Raghopur, winning the seat in both 2015 and 2020. However, the entry of Chanchal Singh from Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party could make the contest more unpredictable by drawing votes from both the NDA and Mahagathbandhan.
Other key leaders whose fate will be decided in this phase include BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Mangal Pandey, and JD(U) leaders Shravan Kumar, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Anant Singh, and Tej Pratap Yadav.
According to the Election Commission, there are 10.72 lakh new electors and 7.78 lakh voters in the 18–19 age group. The total population of these constituencies stands at 6.60 crore.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, polling took place in three phases. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 125 seats, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan (MGB) secured 110. Among the major parties, JD(U) bagged 43 seats, BJP 74, and Congress 19. JD(U) had contested 115 constituencies and BJP 110, while RJD contested 144 and Congress 70.