Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: In the sweltering heat of Patna’s backrooms, whispers of betrayal are turning into outright shouts, threatening to derail the opposition’s grand plans just as Bihar heads to the polls.
The Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 are shaping up to be a nail-biter, but not for the reasons anyone expected. With voting set for November 6 and 11 across the state’s 243 constituencies, the spotlight has shifted from campaign rallies to frantic alliance huddles. I’ve spent the last week crisscrossing districts from Muzaffarpur to Gaya, chatting with booth-level workers and disillusioned leaders, and the story emerging is one of calculated moves by the ruling NDA contrasting sharply with the opposition’s self-inflicted wounds.
Mahagathbandhan’s Seat-Sharing Deadlock Deepens Cracks
At the heart of the turmoil is the Mahagathbandhan—the INDIA bloc’s Bihar arm, comprising RJD, Congress, and Left parties—that’s supposed to challenge Nitish Kumar’s NDA. But with nominations for the first phase wrapping up and just days left for the second, talks on dividing the 243 Vidhan Sabha seats remain stalled. Sources close to the negotiations tell me it’s less about numbers and more about egos: RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav wants a lion’s share for his party, while Congress pushes for at least 40 seats to salvage its relevance in the state.
This impasse has led to “INDIA vs INDIA” clashes on at least nine seats in the first phase, including Biharsharif, Tarapur, and Vaishali, where multiple alliance partners have fielded candidates against each other. In Rosera and Rajapakar, for instance, RJD and Congress hopefuls are locking horns, forcing last-minute withdrawals that leave voters confused and party cadres demotivated. One RJD organizer in Samastipur confided over chai, “We’ve spent months building this front, but now it’s every man for himself. How do you rally turnout when your own team is divided?”
Congress Internal Feuds Erupt Over Ticket Distribution
No corner of the opposition feels the heat more than Congress, where ticket distribution has sparked a full-blown mutiny. On October 18, the party’s central election committee released a second list of five candidates—Shashwat Kedar Pandey for Narkatiaganj, Mohammad Qamrul Hoda for Kishanganj, and others—bringing their total announcements to 53. But behind the scenes, accusations of favoritism and “ticket-selling” are flying thick.
Senior leaders in Purnea and Gaya held press conferences this week, slamming state in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad for opaque processes and alleged bias toward Yadav loyalists. At least three district presidents have resigned in protest, with one from Kishanganj district telling me bluntly, “Rahul Gandhi’s vision for Bihar is clear, but the ground execution feels rigged. We’ve lost trust before the first ballot is cast.” This infighting isn’t new—Congress holds just 19 seats from 2020—but in these Bihar polls 2025, it risks ceding ground to Prashant Kishor’s upstart Jan Suraaj Party, which is quietly poaching disgruntled workers.
JMM’s Solo Run Signals Broader Alliance Wobble
Adding fuel to the fire, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced on October 18 it would contest independently, fielding candidates on six second-phase seats: Chakai, Dhamdaha, Katoria (ST), Manihari (ST), Jamui, and Pirpainti (SC). JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya confirmed the move, saying, “The party has decided to contest the Bihar polls on its own.” This exit, though small in scale, underscores the fragility of the grand alliance Nitish Kumar’s frequent flips have exploited since 2020.
For Mahagathbandhan, the math is unforgiving: without JMM’s tribal vote pull in these pockets, they could lose 2-3 seats outright. Ground reports from Jamui suggest local voters, many from ST communities, are now eyeing NDA’s consolidated pitch on development schemes like PMAY and Ujjwala, which have penetrated even remote hamlets.
NDA’s Cohesive Push: From Seat Locks to Strategic Picks
While the opposition scrambles, the National Democratic Alliance—BJP, JD(U), and allies—has moved like clockwork. Seat-sharing was finalized early: BJP and JD(U) each get 101, LJP(RV) snags 29, and smaller partners like HAM and RLM take six apiece. BJP’s first list of 71 candidates dropped last week, targeting strongholds in urban belts, and the mood in their war rooms is one of quiet confidence.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan, whose LJP(RV) swept all five Bihar seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with a 6% statewide vote share, is the alliance’s breakout star. His “Bihar First, Bihari First” slogan has broadened appeal beyond the Paswan-Dalit base, drawing in youth and migrants returning for Chhath. Paswan’s haggling secured those 29 seats in key areas like Hajipur and Vaishali, positioning him as a potential kingmaker if Nitish eyes a 10th term. As one BJP strategist put it off-record, “Chirag isn’t just an ally; he’s the NDA’s youth face in a state where 40% of voters are under 30.”
JD(U)’s Bold Rebound with Sabir Ali’s Nomination
In a twist that’s got Patna buzzing, JD(U) handed a ticket to Sabir Ali for Amour on October 18—just two days after naming Saba Zafar for the same seat. Ali, a former Rajya Sabha MP, was expelled from the party in 2014 for publicly praising Narendra Modi during Nitish’s anti-BJP phase. He bounced to BJP, faced expulsion there over alleged terror links (which he denies), and returned as their minority cell head in 2015.
Reinstated in JD(U) earlier this year at a Fullia event with Minister Leshi Singh present, Ali’s comeback is pure Nitish playbook: wooing back Muslim voters in Purnea’s border belt without alienating the core. He’ll face AIMIM’s Akhtarul Iman, the sitting MLA, in a contest that could swing minority votes. Ali told reporters post-nomination, “This is about service, not revenge—Bihar needs unity over old grudges.” It’s a gamble, but one that fits JD(U)’s strategy to consolidate in 101 seats by blending reconciliation with outreach.
Ground Echoes: Migrants and Locals Weigh In
From Patna Junction, where Bihari migrants huddle post-Diwali trains, to Gaya’s tea stalls, the chatter is pragmatic. A group of returnees from Delhi’s factories predicted a “tight NDA hold” unless opposition unity clicks last-minute. In Fulwariya, villagers shrugged off Lalu Yadav’s shadow, favoring NDA’s infra push over RJD’s promises. Turnout could hit 65%, per early EC buzz, boosted by aanganwadi workers verifying burqa-clad voters—a nod to inclusivity amid security jitters.
A minor hitch for NDA: LJP(RV)’s Seema Singh’s nomination rejection in Marhaura due to document glitches, alongside four others. It’s a procedural bump, but in Saran’s second-phase turf, it underscores the need for tighter vetting.
As dust settles on these nomination dramas, the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 race into high gear with PM Modi’s second-phase blitz starting October 24. Track every rally, every flip, and every vote count right here for the unfiltered pulse of Bihar’s battleground.
