The first phase of Bihar’s Assembly elections will be held today, with 3.75 crore voters deciding the fate of 1,314 candidates across 121 constituencies.

The high-profile contests feature several top leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav in Raghopur and BJP Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary in Tarapur. Yadav, seeking a third consecutive win, faces BJP’s Satish Kumar, who once defeated his mother Rabri Devi. His elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting from Mahua under his new party, the Janshakti Janata Dal, against RJD’s Mukesh Raushan.

Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha is eyeing a fourth straight victory in Lakhisarai, while BJP’s Mangal Pandey is contesting his first Assembly election from Siwan. The Mokama seat has drawn attention as jailed JD(U) leader Anant Singh faces RJD’s Veena Devi. The polls also feature new entrants like singer Maithili Thakur and Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav.