Bihar Legislative Council elections

Voting has commenced for eight seats in the Bihar Legislative Council, covering four graduate and four teacher constituencies. A total of 150 candidates are contesting the election, with 532,847 registered voters participating across constituencies including Darbhanga, Tirhut, Kosi, Patna, and Saran.

The election remains a multi-cornered contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the opposition Mahagathbandhan, and the Jan Suraaj Party. In the Patna Graduate constituency, significant attention is focused on the contest between JDU’s Neeraj Kumar and Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh, who has received public support from Mokama MLA Anant Singh.

Prior to polling, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor accused the Election Commission of impartiality, alleging that scheduling the October 23 polls on a Friday was a deliberate attempt to suppress Muslim voter turnout by coinciding with extended prayers. Additionally, the BJP called for a high-level investigation into viral images purportedly showing cash bundles alongside Jan Suraaj campaign materials, with spokesperson Danish Iqbal urging the Commission to protect electoral integrity.

Following the October 23 vote, which saw a turnout of 82.85 per cent in teachers’ constituencies and 53.42 per cent in graduates’ seats, the counting of votes commenced at 8 am on Tuesday, October 27. The process is being conducted under tight security at designated centres in Purnea, Saran, Muzaffarpur, and Patna to determine winners for terms expiring on November 16.