Over 14 lakh first-time voters set to reshape Bihar polls

As Bihar heads into a high-stakes Assembly election, over 14 lakh first-time voters are set to emerge as a decisive bloc, large enough to sway outcomes in dozens of constituencies where margins of victory have shrunk sharply over the years.

According to figures released by the Election Commission (EC) on October 6, the state has 14.01 lakh electors aged between 18 and 19, compared to 11.17 lakh in 2020. Though below the 24.13 lakh mark recorded in 2015, their concentration could prove pivotal in what promises to be one of the most competitive elections yet.

On average, each of Bihar’s 243 constituencies now has 5,765 first-time voters — a rise from 4,597 in 2020. The figure is striking when set against the results of the previous polls: in 56 Assembly segments — nearly a quarter of the state — this year’s average of first-time voters outstrips the winning margins of 2020. The average victory gap across Bihar in 2020 stood at 16,825 votes.

Historical data underscores their growing weight. In 2015, there were 73 seats where first-time voters outnumbered the winning margin, reshaping contests in constituencies like Tarari, where a CPI(ML)(L) candidate edged out his rival by just 272 votes — far below the nearly 10,000 new voters per seat that year.

That pattern persisted in 2020, with 49 seats seeing first-time voter counts greater than victory margins, benefitting both the JD(U) and RJD in 13 seats each, and influencing tight battles for Congress and the BJP as well.

Though their share in the overall electorate has dipped from 3.61% in 2015 to 1.88% in 2025, the raw numbers remain critical in swing constituencies. With Bihar’s politics becoming ever more fractured, and alliances under pressure, the ability to woo these new voters could decide not just seats, but the balance of power in the Assembly.