Polling began promptly at 7 AM in districts including Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, Madhepura, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, and Buxar.
Voting will continue until 6 PM at general booths, while six constituencies in Naxal-affected areas will close at 5 PM.
Booth-level agents conducted a mock poll at all stations between 5 AM and 7 AM to ensure that electronic voting machines (EVMs) and other equipment functioned properly.
Authorities deployed unprecedented security measures for the first phase. Police and paramilitary forces manned all districts and patrolled sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling stations.
State officials mobilised more than 15 battalions to maintain law and order.
In Patna district, election authorities set up 5,677 polling stations, including 541 women-only stations, 49 model polling stations, 14 PwD-friendly booths, and three youth-themed booths.
Security personnel manned every station to prevent disturbances or the spread of misinformation.
In Muzaffarpur, 4,186 polling stations have been prepared for 11 Assembly seats, serving around 32.98 lakh electors.
In Lakhisarai, all sector officers and polling staff collected EVMs and essential materials from Gandhi Maidan, with special attention to booths in Naxal-affected areas.
Samastipur, covering 10 constituencies, has 3,603 polling stations serving 29.32 lakh voters.
The district election department confirmed that all arrangements have been made for free, fair, and peaceful polling.
The Election Commission has designated 320 model polling stations, 926 women-managed booths, and 107 PwD-friendly stations across the districts.
Webcasting facilities are operational at all 45,341 polling stations to ensure transparency. Officials emphasised that polling staff have been provided vehicles, EVMs, and other necessary equipment to facilitate efficient voting.
Moreover, this first phase marks a crucial step in the Bihar Assembly elections, reflecting strong administrative planning, voter engagement, and heightened security measures to ensure the democratic process proceeds smoothly.
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