The high-octane campaign for the second and final phase of the Bihar assembly elections concluded on Monday, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi among leaders delivering last-day rallies and appeals.
Voting for 122 assembly seats is scheduled for Tuesday, November 11; counting for all 243 seats (including the 121 that voted in Phase-1 on November 6) will be held on November 14.
Phase-1 recorded what officials called the “highest ever” turnout for a Bihar election. While some reports put first-phase turnout at over 65%, the Election Commission of India put the official figure at 64.66%.
Below is a constituency-by-constituency look at the seats to watch in Phase-2, the candidates in the fray and the local dynamics that could decide results.
Chakai (Kaimur) — Sumit Kumar Singh (JD(U))
Incumbent Sumit Kumar Singh, Bihar’s Minister of Science and Technology, is seeking re-election from Chakai. Singh carries local clout — he first won the seat in 2010 as a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha candidate and has since shown an ability to win as an independent — making Chakai a seat with a history of alternating loyalties and close contests.
Jamui — Shreyasi Singh (BJP) vs Mohammad Shamshad Alam (RJD)
Shreyasi Singh, an Olympic-level shooter and BJP MLA who defeated RJD’s Vijay Prakash in 2020, is defending Jamui. The Mahagathbandhan has fielded Mohammad Shamshad Alam against her; the contest is being watched closely because Jamui’s electoral profile has shifted in recent years from Left-dominated to more mainstream party contests.
Dhamdaha (Purnia) — Leshi Singh (JD(U))
Five-time MLA Leshi Singh, currently the Food and Consumer Protection Minister and a senior JD(U) leader, is contesting Dhamdaha. Her long record — including a stint heading the Bihar State Women’s Commission — and established local presence make this a key seat for the JD(U).
Chhatapur — Neeraj Kumar/Neeraj Singh (BJP)
Neeraj Singh, the state’s Minister of Environment and Forests and a BJP incumbent, is contesting from Chhatapur. The candidate’s public profile is augmented by his familial link to late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, a point that has drawn media attention to the seat.
Bettiah (West Champaran) — Renu Devi (BJP) and challengers
Bettiah — on Bihar’s border — is a high-stakes seat. Former Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi (BJP), a five-time winner since 2000 except in 2015, is aiming to hold the constituency she won comfortably in 2020 (by over 18,000 votes).
This election tests anti-incumbency over local issues such as cross-border migration. Local OBC leader Rohit Sikaria, contesting as an independent, could split votes and affect the Mahagathbandhan’s prospects. Wasi Ahmad (Congress) is another name in the contest.
Katihar — Tarkishore Prasad (BJP) and multi-party contest
Veteran BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad is defending Katihar, a seat he has held since 2005. He faces Saurabh Agarwal of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), son of Ashok Agarwal, and Ghazi Sharique of the Jan Suraaj Party. Katihar’s electorate is dominated by Muslim, Yadav and extremely backward class voters; any split in the Mahagathbandhan vote — including inroads by Prashant Kishor’s party — could benefit the BJP.
Jhanjharpur (Madhubani) — Nitish Mishra (BJP) vs Ram Narayan Yadav (CPI)
Industries Minister Nitish Mishra, who won Jhanjharpur by a margin of over 41,700 votes in 2020, seeks re-election in Mithilanchal. He faces Ram Narayan Yadav of the CPI, a Mahagathbandhan ally. The constituency’s electorate is shaped by ‘upper’ castes and Yadavs, along with a sizable Scheduled Caste population — a mix that will determine whether 2020’s margin holds.
Motihari (East Champaran) — Pramod Kumar (BJP) vs Dewa Gupta (RJD)
Pramod Kumar, the incumbent Law Minister and a BJP veteran who has represented Motihari since 2005, is expected to face a straight fight with Dewa Gupta of the RJD. The largely rural seat has been a BJP stronghold and will be watched for any shift in rural voting patterns.
Other cross-cutting factors and context
Celebrity and family ties: Several candidates bring high-profile backgrounds — from Shreyasi Singh’s sporting credentials to Neeraj Singh’s celebrity kinship — which could shape local perception and turnout.
History of shifting loyalties: Several seats in Phase-2 (Chakai, Jamui, parts of Seemanchal) have histories of close contests, surprise wins and vote swings, making them vulnerable to small shifts in local alliances.
Regional caste dynamics: Constituency outcomes are expected to hinge heavily on caste equations — particularly the distribution of OBC, Yadav, Muslim and extremely backward class votes in Seemanchal and Mithilanchal regions.
Security preparations ahead of polling
State and central agencies have significantly ramped up security for Phase-2 polling. Election officials said more than 4 lakh security personnel have been deployed across Bihar for poll duties. The security deployment includes:
- Around 500 companies (≈50,000 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) engaged in pre-election duties, with an additional 500 companies arriving later and a further 500 companies deployed in the third week of October.
- More than 60,000 personnel of the Bihar Police on election duty.
- Around 30,000 personnel of the Bihar Special Armed Police.
- Around 2,000 personnel from reserve battalions of other states.
- Over 20,000 home guards and roughly 19,000 newly recruited constables (currently undergoing training) engaged in poll duty.
- Nearly 1.5 lakh chowkidars (rural watchmen) posted to assist on the ground.
Officials said the large security footprint aims to ensure free and fair voting across the 122 seats slated for Phase-2 and to maintain law and order amid a highly charged campaign environment.
The continuing presence of central forces, multiple layers of state security and reserve contingents indicates a focus on both voter protection and quick response to any incidents on polling day.
With campaigning complete and troops, police and auxiliary personnel in position, Bihar moves into the final stage of balloting. Attention will now shift to polling on November 11 and the result day on November 14, when the combined effect of local contests, caste math and turnout will determine the next government in Patna.
