Bihar polls: "You must indeed vote as this will decide future of children", says RJD's Khesari Lal Yadav

Saran (Bihar) [India], November 6 (ANI): Singer-turned-politician and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Chapra, Khesari Lal Yadav, on Thursday appealed to voters to cast their franchise responsibly, asserting that their votes would determine the future of the next generation.
Before casting his vote at a polling booth in Ekma, Saran, Khesari said, "You must indeed vote as this will decide the future of your children. I have not had breakfast. I woke up and came here to vote. If I do not do it, how can I inspire others to do so? Vote for whoever you want, but this will decide the future of your children."
His remarks came following indirect criticism from Bhojpuri star and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Kishan, who accused Khesari of speaking against Sanatan Dharma. The RJD leader defended his statement, clarifying that his intent was to stress the importance of education and development.
"I have built that house with great hard work. I don't know what God wants; everything is going wrong with me... Will I become a Master or Professor after studying in Ram Mandir? Devotion is a different matter. Education is important; through education, you can run a country. Build a temple, build a mosque, but also work for the future of children. Will we vote for Trump for that? No. I stand by my statement," he said.
Commenting on his exchange of words with fellow singer and BJP candidate from Karakat in Rohtas district, Pawan Singh, Yadav said, "My words will not bring development to Chapra or Bihar. We should not talk but work and discuss how we can develop Bihar."
Khesari Lal Yadav, aka Shatrughan Yadav, who is contesting for the Mahagathbandhan from the Chhapra constituency, has been vocal about providing employment opportunities in Bihar.
Meanwhile, Former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, along with his wife Rabri Devi and son and Mahagathbandhan Chief Ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav, cast their votes in Patna.
Tejashwi Yadav's wife, Rajshree Yadav, and his sister, Misha Bharti, were also with the family to cast her vote, as polling in the 121 constituencies in the first phase of the election is underway.
The RJD chief, Lalu Yadav, assured that the election would bring about a change in Bihar, while Tejashwi Yadav appealed to the voters to bring about a change in Bihar.
"There will be a change on November 14, bring change, form a new government," Tejashwi said.
RJD leader Misa Bharti also appealed to the voters, "I just want to say that everyone should cast their votes keeping the future of their children in mind"Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi urged women and youth to cast their vote.
Voting for the first phase of the 2025 assembly elections in Bihar began today at 7.00 am across 121 constituencies in 18 districts of the state's 243 seats, with approximately 3.75 crore electors casting their ballot.
Polling will conclude at 6 pm, and due to security considerations, polling time has been curtailed to 5 pm in some constituencies.
The first phase will decide the fate of several senior leaders, including RJD's Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Mangal Pandey and JD(U)'s Shravan Kumar and Vijay Kumar Choudhary.
Strongman Anant Singh and Tej Pratap Yadav are also competing in the first phase.
According to the Election Commission, there are 10.72 lakh 'new electors', and 7.78 lakh voters are in the age group of 18-19 years. The total population of these constituencies, as stated by the Election Commission, is 6.60 crore.
Tejashwi Yadav, the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan, is in the fray from Raghopur. He has held the seat since 2015 and faces a tough challenge from the BJP's Satish Kumar Yadav, who lost in the 2020 assembly elections. Tej Pratap Yadav is in the fray from the Mahua constituency.
The Tarapur seat in the Munger district is witnessing a contest between Deputy Chief Minister and BJP's Samrat Choudhary, RJD's Arun Kumar and Jan Suraaj's Santosh Kumar Singh. The JD(U) candidates won the seat in the 2010 and 2015 polls.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha is contesting from the Lakhisarai seat. He is facing Congress's Amaresh Kumar and Jan Suraaj's Suraj Kumar.
Jan Suraj Party has 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.
Among the Mahagathbandhan constituents, the RJD is contesting 73 seats in the first phase, followed by 24 from the Congress and 14 from the CPI(ML). There will be a friendly fight for a few seats among Mahagathbandhan constituents.
In the 2020 polling took place in three phases. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 125 seats, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan (MGB) won 110. Among the major parties, the Janata Dal (United) secured 43 seats, the BJP secured 74, the RJD secured 75 seats, and the Congress secured 19. The JD(U) contested 115 constituencies, the BJP 110, whereas the RJD contested 144 seats and the Congress 70. (ANI)