Patna (Bihar) [India], November 6 : RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari on Thursday said that people in Bihar are looking for change and see hope in Tejashwi Yadav.
He added that voters want to protect the state's future and expressed confidence that the Mahagathbandhan will get strong support in the polls.
Speaking to ANI, Mrityunjay Tiwari said, "Voting in the first phase of the Bihar Election 2025 is taking place today. Going with the trends from everywhere, it is clear that people of Bihar have made up their mind for a change and they will vote for a change. They will vote to save Bihar and its future. This government has brought Bihar to the brink of destruction. They see a ray of hope in Tejashwi Yadav. We are confident that everyone will support Mahagathbandhan, Tejashwi Yadav."
Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 is underway.
The first phase of the 2025 Assembly elections in Bihar began at 7:00 am on Thursday across 121 constituencies in 18 districts of the state's 243 seats, with approximately 3.75 crore electorate casting their ballot.
Polling will conclude at 6 pm; however, due to security considerations, polling time has been curtailed to 5 pm in some constituencies.
The first phase will decide the fate of several senior leaders, including RJD's Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Mangal Pandey and JD(U)'s Shravan Kumar and Vijay Kumar Choudhary. Tej Pratap Yadav is also in the fray in the first phase from Mahua constituency.
Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial candidate, is in the fray from Raghopur. He has held the seat since 2015 and faces a tough challenge from the BJP's Satish Kumar Yadav, who lost in the 2020 Assembly elections.
Tejashwi Yadav's estranged brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, who floated a new party, Janshakti Janta Dal, after his exit from RJD, has fielded Prem Kumar from the seat. Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, has fielded Chanchal Singh, and this could alter the dynamics in Raghopur.
Tarapur seat in Munger district is witnessing a contest between Deputy Chief Minister and BJP's Samrat Choudhary, RJD's Arun Kumar and Jan Suraaj's Santosh Kumar Singh. The seat was won by the JD(U) candidates in the 2010 and 2015 polls.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha is contesting from the Lakhisarai seat. He is facing Congress' Amaresh Kumar and Jan Suraaj's Suraj Kumar.
Mokama constituency has been in the headlines after the murder of Dularchand Yadav. Known for clashes between strongmen or 'bahubalis', Mokama will witness a contest between JD(U) candidate Anant Kumar Singh, who has been arrested in the murder case, and Veena Devi, wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.
Patna Sahib has been a BJP stronghold, but Nand Kishore Yadav, the Speaker in the outgoing Assembly, is not in the fray this time.
The contest for the seat is between relatively new faces. BJP has fielded Ratnesh Kumar, aka Ratnesh Khushwaha, and Congress has given a ticket to Shashant Shekhar.
In Darbhanga, the BJP has fielded folk singer Maithili Thakur, and she is contesting against 63-year-old RJD candidate Binod Mishra.
Maithili Thakur, 25, is the youngest candidate and would become the youngest MLA if elected. There are 122 women candidates in the fray in the first phase of polls.
Jan Suraj Party fielded 119 candidates in this phase. Within NDA, JD(U) is contesting 57 seats, followed by BJP on 48 and LJP (Ram Vilas) on 14.
Among the Mahagathbandhan constituents, RJD is contesting 73 seats in the first phase, followed by 24 from Congress and 14 from CPI(M-L). There will be a friendly fight for a few seats among Mahagathbandhan constituents.