Voter turnout rose by 12.9% in 32 Muslim-dominated seats in Bihar

Exit polls on Tuesday predicted a clear victory for the NDA and a poor showing for the opposition Mahagathbandhan.

The 32 Muslim-dominated seats across both phases in the Bihar elections recorded an average increase of 12.9 per cent in voter turnout this time.

The state etched a new chapter in electoral history on Tuesday as the second and final phase of the 2025 Assembly elections recorded a provisional voter turnout of 67.14% with the Muslim-dominated Kishanganj district recording the highest voter turnout at 78.16%.

According to a Moneycontrol analysis, 32 Muslim-majority constituencies, concentrated across Seemanchal and Koshi, recorded an average turnout of 74.5 per cent, up sharply from 60.2 percent in 2020—an increase of 12.9 percentage points.

In the second phase, polling was held in 122 constituencies across 20 districts in several regions including Seemanchal, Champaran, and Magadh.  The Muslim community makes up 17.7% of Bihar’s 13.07 crore population, according to the 2022-23 state caste survey.

Muslim voters in Bihar

According to the 2011 Census, Kishanganj has the highest Muslim concentration in Bihar, with 68% of the population. They will elect four members to the Bihar assembly.

Katihar comes second on the list with a 62% Muslim population. These will elect seven members.

Araria has 41% Muslims who will elect six MLAs. Purnea has a 37% Muslim population and seven constituencies. Darbhanga has 10 assembly seats, and 23% of its population is made up of Muslims. East Champaran and Sitamarhi have 22% and 21% Muslim populations with 12 and seven seats, respectively.

How 32 Muslim-dominated seats voted this year

Most of these seats lie in districts along the Nepal border, largely concentrated in Bihar’s north-eastern Kosi-Seemanchal region, which has a significant minority population.

Sheohar, the only Muslim-dominated seat in the Tirhut region, recorded a turnout of 68.80% in this election, up from 56.54% recorded in 2020.

Similarly, in Mithilanchal Region, Narpatganj saw the highest turnout at 71.63%, up from 61.18% in 2020, followed by an increase of 8.34% in Khajauli (69.47%) and 5.49% in Babubarhi (66.5%) among other seats.

Seemanchal, which has the highest Muslim population in the state, saw Kishanganj Sadar seat record a turnout of 79.93%, an increase of 19.07% from 2020.

Katihar (77.93%) follows next with an increase of 13.26% and 12.20% in Kochadhaman (76.84%).

On the other hand, in Koshi region where the EBC factor across 12 constituencies helped the ruling coalition stave off a stiff challenge from the Opposition in 2020, saw Kasba top the list with 81.74% turnout followed by Purnia at 79.95% .

However, Purnia registered the sharpest increase (21.14%) among the 32 Muslim-dominated seats in Bihar.

What happened in 2020?

The Tejaswi Yadav-led RJD is known for its proximity to the Muslim community, which has supported it in almost all elections.

Of the 51 Assembly seats in the state’s Muslim-dominated regions, the BJP and its allies won 35 seats in 2020. The NDA’s strike rate was nearly 70 per cent.

Meanwhile in 2015, the RJD, JD(U) and Congress came together under the Mahagathbandhan banner, drawing nearly 80% of Muslim votes.

Exit polls on Tuesday predicted a clear victory for the NDA and a poor showing for the opposition Mahagathbandhan. They also played down Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party, projecting it to secure only a handful of seats. According to the combined “poll of polls,” the NDA is poised to return to power comfortably with around 148 seats, while the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, with around 88 seats, is expected to lag significantly behind.