‘Every Vote Counts’: Amit Shah’s Call To Bihar As Polling Begins

As voting began for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday called upon voters to participate in large numbers, stressing that every vote would be vital in preventing the return of ‘Jungle Raj’ in the state.

Taking to X, Shah posted, “Voters of Bihar, brothers and sisters, especially the youth—I urge you to vote in record numbers in the first phase of polling today.”

“Each and every one of your votes will pave the way to prevent the return of jungle raj in Bihar, sustain good governance, and build a developed, self-reliant Bihar. Teach a lesson in this election to those who toy with the country’s security by providing protection to infiltrators and Naxalites,” the post added.

Emphasising the importance of voter participation, the Home Minister said the ballot would shape the future of Bihar by ensuring access to modern education, improving employment opportunities for the youth, promoting welfare for the underprivileged, and restoring the state’s pride.

Polling commenced at 7 AM across 18 districts for 121 Assembly constituencies.

A total of 1,314 candidates, 1,192 men and 122 women, are contesting in this phase.

According to the Election Commission, 3,75,13,302 electors, including 1,98,35,325 males, 1,76,77,219 females, and 758 third gender voters, will decide the outcome.

Arrangements and Accessibility

The state has 45,341 polling stations, comprising 36,733 in rural areas and 8,608 in urban regions.

The Election Commission of India designated 320 model polling stations, 926 managed exclusively by women, and 107 managed by persons with disabilities (PwDs), and arranged webcasting facilities for all polling stations.

Voting will continue until 6 PM at general booths, while in six Naxal-affected constituencies, polling will close an hour earlier, at 5 PM.

The districts where polling is taking place include Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, Madhepura, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, and Buxar.

Extensive security measures have been implemented for the first phase.

The Election Commission and state administration deployed police and paramilitary forces across all 18 districts and stationed additional patrols at sensitive and high-risk polling stations. They mobilised more than 15 battalions of security personnel statewide.

Security personnel deployed at every polling booth to maintain order and curb misinformation, the Patna district administration stated.

Patna alone hosts 5,677 polling stations, including 541 exclusively for women, 49 model booths, 14 PwD-friendly stations, and three designed around youth-centric themes.

Also Read: ‘Festival Of Democracy’ Begins In Bihar, Says PM Modi