Bihar Election 2025: Phase 2 surpasses phase 1 voting record at 68.88%, did SIR boost voter turnout?

Bihar assembly elections: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said that the Bihar legislative assembly election recorded 66.91% voter turnout, the highest ever in the state since 1951.

The second and final phase of the high-stakes assembly election saw voter turnout of 68.88%. The voter turnout across 122 constituencies was higher than the 65.09% in the first phase.

Turnout among male voters was 62.8% and amongst female voters it was 71.6%, said the ECI

Bihar Exit Poll Results 2025 LIVE:

To tackle the anti-incumbency factor, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA is banking on 'good governance' during the tenure of the JD(U) president Nitish Kumar. Whereas, the opposition INDIA bloc is pinning its hopes on the incumbency factor.

After the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the total number of electors in poll-bound Bihar came down to 7.42 crore. The EC stated that 3.66 lakh voters were removed from the draft roll, while 21.53 lakh were added after the evaluation of documents.

District-wise polling percentage.

Kishanganj, the lone Muslim-majority district in the state, recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 78.15. The lowest turnout was recorded in Nawada, the only district that fell below the 60% mark.

Araria: 70.2%

Arwal: 63.88%

Aurangabad: 65.39%

Banka: 70.34%

Bhagalpur: 67.55%

Gaya: 68.68%

Jahanabad: 65.38%

Jamui: 69.67%

Kaimur: 68.41%

Kaithar: 78.86%

Kishanganj: 78.15%

Madhubani: 63.47%

Nawada: 57.85%

Paschim Champaran: 71.45%

Purnia: 76.26%

Purvi Champaran: 71.45%

Rohtas: 61.95 %

Sheohar: 68.80%

Sitamarhi: 67%

Supaul: 72.68%

How many ministers contested in the second phase?

The second phase saw eight ministers from Nitish Kumar's cabinet in the fray.

First phase voter turnout

65.09% of 3.75 crore electors exercised their voting rights in the first phase on 6 November, across 121 constituencies.

Bihar Exit Poll prediction

Several exit polls on Tuesday predicted a big victory for the BJP-led NDA with the Mahagathbandhan coming in a distant second. The majority mark is 122.

Dainik Bhaskar

— NDA: 145-160 seats

— Mahagathbandhan: 73-91 seats

—Jan Suraaj: 0-3 seats

Matrize Exit Poll

— NDA: 147-167 seats

— Mahagathbandhan: 70-90 seats

—Jan Suraaj: 0-2 seats

The People's Insight

— NDA: 133-148 seats

— Mahagathbandhan: 87-102 seats

—Jan Suraaj: 0-2 seats