Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections took place on November 5, 2025, with all seven assembly constituencies in Nalanda district participating. By 5 PM, the district recorded a voter turnout of 57.58 percent. Polling began at 7 AM and continued until 6 PM across the district. Nalanda has a total electorate of 22 lakh 42 thousand 867 voters, including 11 lakh 81 thousand 613 men, 10 lakh 61 thousand 200 women, and 54 third gender voters. Notably, 39 thousand 651 first-time voters aged 18-19 years exercised their franchise in this election. The day witnessed several controversies, including allegations of bogus voting in Bihar Sharif and Rajgir assembly areas. Additionally, voters in Mushari village under Harnaut constituency boycotted the polls. Two Bihar government ministers are also contesting from Nalanda: Dr. Sunil Kumar, Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, and Shravan Kumar, Minister for Rural Development. The seven assembly seats saw contests among 68 candidates in total, with only eight women candidates across all constituencies. The elections featured a significant political battle between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan. Bihar Sharif constituency witnessed internal competition within the Mahagathbandhan, with Congress and CPI fielding separate candidates. The constituency-wise candidate distribution showed Islampur with the highest number of 13 candidates, while Asthawan and Rajgir had the fewest with seven each.
Voter Turnout and Electoral Demographics
Nalanda district recorded a 57.58 percent voter turnout by 5 PM on November 5, 2025, during the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections. The polling process started at 7 AM and was scheduled to continue until 6 PM across all seven assembly constituencies. The district has a substantial electorate base of 22 lakh 42 thousand 867 registered voters. The voter composition includes 11 lakh 81 thousand 613 male voters, 10 lakh 61 thousand 200 female voters, and 54 third gender voters. A significant feature of this election was the participation of young first-time voters, with 39 thousand 651 voters aged between 18 and 19 years casting their ballots for the first time. The elections witnessed active participation across urban and rural areas, though the day was marred by some controversies including allegations of bogus voting in certain constituencies and a complete voting boycott in Mushari village of Harnaut assembly area, highlighting concerns about electoral processes in specific regions.
Mahagathbandhan Candidate Distribution
The Mahagathbandhan alliance distributed its candidates across Nalanda's seven constituencies, with some internal competition visible in Bihar Sharif where Congress and CPI fielded opposing candidates. Congress nominated Umair Khan while CPI fielded Shivkumar Yadav, also known as Sardar Ji, in Bihar Sharif. The Rashtriya Janata Dal dominated the alliance's ticket distribution with three candidates: Shakti Singh Yadav from Hilsa, Rakesh Roshan from Islampur, and Ravi Ranjan, known as Chhotu Mukhiya, from Asthawan. Congress secured three seats, fielding Kaushalendra Kumar from Nalanda, Arun Bind from Harnaut, and the previously mentioned Umair Khan from Bihar Sharif. The Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist Liberation contributed one candidate, Vishwanath Chaudhary, who contested from Rajgir constituency. This distribution reflected the alliance's strategy to leverage each party's traditional strongholds and caste equations across different assembly segments, though the Bihar Sharif split indicated some internal coordination challenges within the opposition coalition.
NDA Alliance Seat Sharing
The National Democratic Alliance showed a clear division of constituencies in Nalanda district, with the Bharatiya Janata Party contesting just one seat while its ally Janata Dal United fielded candidates in six constituencies. Dr. Sunil Kumar, the incumbent Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, represented BJP from Bihar Sharif assembly seat. The JDU dominated the NDA's candidate list with six nominees across different constituencies. Dr. Jitendra Kumar contested from Asthawan, Kaushal Kishore from Rajgir, and Harinarayan Singh from Harnaut. Shravan Kumar, the Rural Development Minister, fought from Nalanda constituency. Krishna Murari, popularly known as Prem Mukhiya, represented JDU from Hilsa, while Ruhel Ranjan contested from Islampur. This distribution pattern reflected the alliance partners' traditional support bases and their agreed seat-sharing formula for the Bihar Assembly elections. The presence of two sitting state ministers in the electoral fray underscored the importance both parties attached to retaining control in Nalanda district.
Candidate Numbers and Women Representation
A total of 68 candidates contested across Nalanda's seven assembly constituencies, with significant variation in candidate numbers per seat. Islampur emerged as the most crowded constituency with 13 candidates in the race, while Asthawan and Rajgir recorded the fewest with seven candidates each. Bihar Sharif and Hilsa both had 10 candidates, Nalanda also featured 10 contestants, and Harnaut saw 11 candidates competing. Women's representation remained notably low across all constituencies, with only eight female candidates participating in the entire district. Asthawan had two women candidates: Lata Singh and Shabnam Lata. Bihar Sharif fielded Saraswati Kumari. Rajgir, a reserved constituency, saw Anjali Roy and Mano Devi competing. Islampur had Tanuja Kumari and Mitu Kumari in the race, while Nalanda featured Kumari Poonam Sinha as a candidate. The limited female participation highlighted ongoing challenges in achieving gender balance in electoral politics despite various initiatives to encourage women's political participation in Bihar's democratic processes.
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