The first phase of voting in the Bihar assembly elections on Thursday was marred by tension in Lakhisarai, where deputy chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged that his convoy was attacked by supporters of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The incident added a dramatic and volatile layer to an already charged election day, with both political parties trading accusations as polling continued across 121 constituencies.

Sinha, who is contesting from the Lakhisarai constituency as the BJP candidate, was visiting Khoriari village when the attack reportedly took place. According to early reports from the news agency ANI, his convoy came under a sudden assault as it entered the village. Eyewitness accounts and videos circulating online suggest that a section of the crowd hurled slippers and pelted stones at the vehicles while shouting slogans of “murdabad.” The group allegedly attempted to block the convoy’s entry, sparking a confrontation that underscored the fraught political atmosphere in the constituency.

Speaking immediately after the incident, Sinha launched a sharp attack on the RJD, accusing its members of orchestrating the violence. He claimed that the assault was a deliberate attempt to intimidate him and disrupt the BJP’s campaign efforts. “These are the goons of RJD,” Sinha said at the site, visibly angered by the confrontation. “The NDA is coming to power, and that is why a bulldozer will run on their chest. The goons are not letting me visit the village. They turned away my polling agent and did not let him vote. Look at their hooliganism. These are booth numbers 404 and 405 of Khoriari village.”

Footage circulating on social media from the site of the incident shows a group of local residents shouting slogans against Sinha. Some locals could be seen pointing toward the poorly maintained village roads, suggesting that dissatisfaction with the constituency’s infrastructure may also have fueled the protests. Sinha, however, insisted that the roots of the aggression were political, intended to disrupt voting and intimidate BJP supporters.

In a separate statement, Sinha accused the local administration of ignoring his complaints. He alleged that while his convoy was hit with slippers, cow dung, and stones, authorities did little to intervene. “The RJD workers were trying to capture a polling booth. We will complain to the Election Commission. I had informed the administration that slippers and cow dung were flung at the convoy, but no action was taken,” he said. He added that the attack was aimed at preventing fair polling in the region, characterizing the incident as an attempt to hijack the democratic process.

Following the allegations, an official from the Election Commission said that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had taken note of the matter and immediately sought a report from the state’s director general of police. Instructions have reportedly been issued to ensure adequate security in the sensitive booths of Lakhisarai and prevent any further disruptions.

The incident in Khoriari unfolded as voting began for the first phase of the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, covering 121 constituencies across 18 districts in the state. Lakhisarai is among the key battleground constituencies in the first round, where the BJP and the RJD are in direct competition. With over 3.75 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots in this phase, election authorities deployed heavy security to ensure smooth polling. The second round of voting is scheduled for November 11, with vote counting set to take place on November 14.

As reports of the attack on Sinha’s convoy spread, the Congress also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the polling process. Congress MP Imran Masood, speaking to ANI from Saharanpur, accused the Election Commission and the state administration of overseeing what he described as a “corrupt” voter list. Masood alleged that the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls had led to widespread deletions that deprived many eligible voters of their right to participate in the election.

“Many people have had to return from the polling station because their names were missing from the voter list. It is visible that the voter list is corrupt,” Masood said. “What Rahul Gandhi said yesterday can also be seen today in Bihar. They are trying to deprive people of their right to vote through the SIR.”

Masood’s remarks came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a press conference alleging large-scale voter list manipulation in Haryana, which he described as “vote chori.” Gandhi claimed that duplicate and fake voter entries had influenced the outcome of the 2024 assembly elections in the state. His assertions have triggered a political storm, with the BJP dismissing his statements as an attempt to distract from electoral realities in Bihar. Masood drew a direct link between Rahul Gandhi’s allegations and the voter list problems he claimed to witness at polling stations in Bihar.

The BJP, meanwhile, is expected to lodge a formal complaint with the Election Commission regarding the attack on Vijay Sinha’s convoy, as well as his allegations of booth capture attempts in Khoriari. Party leaders expressed concerns that the attack might deter voters in the constituency, which has seen intense competition between the BJP and the RJD in recent election cycles.

Lakhisarai has emerged as a politically significant seat over the past decade, with Sinha positioning himself as a strong representative of the BJP’s growing influence in the region. The BJP’s alliance with the Janata Dal (United), led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, continues to be a major factor in the electoral dynamics of the state. The RJD, on the other hand, is banking on strong support from traditional voter bases and attempting to build momentum through its campaign led by Tejashwi Yadav.

The attack on the deputy chief minister’s convoy has added an unexpected layer of tension to an already high-stakes election. As polling progresses, security officials have been instructed to increase vigilance in sensitive areas to prevent further confrontations. Political observers note that incidents of violence, allegations of booth capturing, and disputes over voter lists often reflect the broader intensity of electoral competition in Bihar, a state where every vote can shift political fortunes.

As the state moves toward the second phase of voting, the political temperature in Bihar is expected to rise further. Both major alliances—the NDA led by the BJP and JD(U), and the opposition led by the RJD and Congress—are locked in fiercely contested battles across constituencies. With the first phase already marked by controversy, the Election Commission will face heightened scrutiny as it navigates the remaining days of the electoral process.