VIP chief Mukesh Sahani urges Bihar voters to cast their franchise, calls public "true owners of democracy"

Darbhanga (Bihar) [India], November 6 (ANI): Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief and Mahagathbandhan's Deputy Chief Ministerial face Mukesh Sahani on Thursday urged voters in Bihar to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise, calling the people the "true owners of democracy."
Speaking to ANI before casting his vote in Darbhanga, Sahani said, "The Public are the owners of democracy. You have the right to elect the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country. Exercise your right to franchise. Step out of your house and vote in large numbers carefully. Did those who were in power earlier fulfil all the promises they made?"
Responding to allegations by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over voter list discrepancies, Sahani said, "The Public are the owners of democracy. If there are discrepancies, it is not right."

Sahani, accompanied by his family, later exercised his vote during the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections 2025.

After casting his vote, he appealed to citizens to participate actively in the democratic process and said, "My message is that everyone should step out of their house and cast their vote - for a better government and a better Bihar. Vote to strengthen democracy. This nation is yours, not of any politician. The public is the owner of this country. They get the chance to vote every 5 years, so use your voting right."
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Thursday expressed confidence in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning the Bihar Assembly election as the people are voting to "reject jungle raj" and exercise their right to bring in a developed Bihar.
"I have full faith that NDA will win. The people of Bihar are celebrating this festival of democracy for development and voting to reject 'jungle raj'. I request everyone to go to polling booths and cast their votes, Bihar has been the mother of democracy," he told ANI.
Rai, also a BJP MP from Bihar's Ujiarpur parliamentary constituency, also cast his vote in the Hajipur area under Vaishali district early this morning.
"Bihar is the mother of democracy. The people of Bihar celebrate this festival of democracy with great enthusiasm. I appeal to the public to cast their vote and celebrate this festival of democracy," Rai said.
Voting for the first phase of the 2025 Assembly elections in Bihar began on Thursday at 7:00 am across 121 constituencies in 18 districts, covering the state's 243 seats, with approximately 3.75 crore electors casting their ballots.
Polling will conclude at 6 pm; however, due to security considerations, polling time has been curtailed to 5 pm in some constituencies.
According to the Election Commission, there are 10.72 lakh 'new electors', and 7.78 lakh voters are in the 18-19 years age group. The total population of these constituencies, as stated by the Election Commission, is 6.60 crore.
A total of 122 women candidates are in the fray in the first phase of the polls. Jan Suraj Party fielded 119 candidates in this phase. Within NDA, JD(U) is contesting 57 seats, followed by BJP on 48 and LJP (Ram Vilas) on 14.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, polling took place in three phases. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 125 seats, while the opposition won 110. Among the major parties, the Janata Dal (United) secured 43 seats, while the Congress secured 19. The JD(U) contested 115 constituencies, the BJP 110, whereas the RJD contested 144 seats and the Congress 70. (ANI)