Bihar witnessed an unprecedented voter response in the second and final phase of the 2025 Assembly Elections, recording over 60% turnout across 122 constituencies. The phase is seen as crucial for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government, as several key ministers and allies contested for re-election.

Record voter participation across 20 districts

According to the Election Commission, voter turnout stood at 60.4% by 3 pm, marking the highest-ever participation in the state’s history. Over 3.70 crore voters, including 1.74 crore women, were eligible to vote across 45,399 polling centres.

This round featured 1,302 candidates, of which 136 are women, contesting from constituencies spread across West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, and Kishanganj, all bordering Nepal.

Major leaders and candidates in the fray

As many as 12 ministers from Nitish Kumar’s cabinet contested in this phase, including Bijendra Prasad Yadav (Supaul), Sumit Kumar Singh (Chakai), Mohd Zama Khan (Chainpur), Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), and Renu Devi (Bettiah), among others.

The phase also tested the electoral influence of smaller NDA allies — Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha — both contesting six seats each. Family members of both leaders, Deepa Manjhi and Snehalata Kushwaha, are also in the fray.

Seemanchal region holds key significance

Four districts in the Seemanchal region, known for its substantial Muslim population, went to polls, making it a decisive battleground for both the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan.

Among the most-watched seats is Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur, witnessing a four-cornered contest involving RJD, Congress, JD(U) and an Independent candidate — BJP rebel Pawan Kumar Yadav.

Prominent faces and security measures

Other key contestants include state Congress chief Rajesh Kumar (Kutumba), former assembly speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary (RJD), CPI-ML leader Mehboob Alam, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Shreyasi Singh (BJP), and Bhojpuri actor-singer Ritesh Pandey (Jan Suraaj Party).

To ensure smooth conduct of polling, the state deployed over four lakh security personnel across sensitive areas.

Bihar had already recorded a 65% voter turnout in Phase 1, indicating a strong engagement by the electorate this year. Counting of votes will be held on November 14, followed by the release of exit polls later today.

A Lucknow-based doctor, identified as Dr Shaheen Shahid, has been arrested for allegedly playing a key role in setting up the women’s wing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in India, police sources revealed. The development comes after a major explosives haul in Faridabad near Delhi, which is being probed as part of a larger terror conspiracy.

According to officials, Dr Shaheen Shahid was tasked with establishing and recruiting members for JeM’s women’s unit, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, led by Sadia Azhar, the sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar, based in Pakistan.

Role and background of Dr Shaheen Shahid

Dr Shaheen Shahid, a resident of Lucknow’s Lal Bagh area, was allegedly involved with JeM’s Faridabad module, from where 2,900 kg of explosives, including suspected ammonium nitrate and 20 timers, were seized.
An assault rifle was also found in a car registered in her name during the investigation.

Officials said she was associated with Al-Falah University and maintained close contact with Dr Muzammil Ganaie alias Musaib, a Pulwama native and fellow doctor at the same university. Muzammil was arrested following the seizure of the explosives and was previously wanted in Jammu and Kashmir for displaying posters supporting JeM.

Links to Kandahar hijacking mastermind’s family

Investigators said that Sadia Azhar, who oversees Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, is married to Yusuf Azhar, a key plotter in the 1999 Kandahar hijacking. Yusuf Azhar was killed during Operation Sindoor on May 7.

The women’s wing was reportedly formed in October in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, and began recruiting women—particularly the wives of JeM commanders and financially weak students—from Bahawalpur, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Haripur, and Mansehra.

Recovery and route linked to Delhi blast

The Maruti Suzuki Swift linked to Dr Shaheen Shahid, registered in Faridabad (HR 51), was used to store weapons and ammunition. Investigators discovered the cache following Muzammil’s interrogation. The revelations also led police to track the suspected route connecting Faridabad, Badarpur, and Red Fort, where a powerful car explosion occurred earlier this week, killing several people.

The national capital’s air quality has once again entered the ‘severe’ category for the first time this season, prompting authorities to enforce Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The move came after Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) shot up to 425, marking a sharp decline in atmospheric conditions across the city and its adjoining areas.

Delhi’s air quality hits alarming level

According to official data, multiple areas in Delhi recorded dangerously high pollution levels. Bawana topped the chart with an AQI of 462, followed by RK Puram (446), Patparganj (438), and Alipur (442). Anand Vihar logged 412, while Chandni Chowk recorded 416. These readings indicate heavy smog and particulate matter concentration across the city.

As per the Ministry of Environment, the city’s average AQI between January 1 and November 9, 2025, was 175 — a marginal improvement from 189 recorded during the same period last year. Concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 stood at 75 µg/m³ and 170 µg/m³ respectively, compared to 87 µg/m³ and 191 µg/m³ last year.

Decline in farm fire incidents

The data also shows a significant drop in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana — two major contributors to Delhi’s annual smog. Punjab reported 4,062 fire events between September 15 and November 9 this year, marking a 35.2% decline compared to 2024. Haryana saw an even sharper fall of 65.3%, with only 333 fire counts this year against 959 last year.

Authorities said the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) continues to monitor the situation closely with state officials to ensure strict adherence to anti-pollution directives.

Restrictions under GRAP-3

With GRAP-3 now in force, the following restrictions are being implemented across Delhi-NCR:

• Complete ban on non-essential construction and demolition activities, including open-air operations of Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plants.
• Ban on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars.
• Suspension of transport of construction materials like sand and cement, especially on unpaved roads.
• Closure of stone crushers, mining, and hot-mix plants not running on clean fuel.
• Prohibition on diesel generator sets, except for emergency services.
• Restriction on inter-state diesel buses entering Delhi.
• Advisory for private companies to promote work-from-home or hybrid models.
• Schools up to Class 5 to shift to online mode to safeguard children from toxic air.
  

Essential projects such as metro, railways, sanitation, defence, and healthcare will continue under strict dust and waste management protocols.