NEW DELHI: With just hours left for the official announcement of the Bihar Assembly election dates, the state—known for its complex and caste-driven political landscape—gears up for a high-stakes showdown between the NDA (BJP, JD(U), LJP, HAM, and RLP) and the INDIA bloc (RJD, Congress, and Left parties) in what is being billed as Mission Bihar 2025.
Following two days of meetings with officials and political parties in Patna, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the poll schedule on October 6. In a rare move, elections may be conducted in two—possibly three phases, with the entire process likely to be completed well before 22 November.
The battle for Bihar’s 243-member legislative assembly has turned into an 'Interesting, Tough and Intriguing' contest drawing attention from across the political spectrum. Political observers have dubbed it for the ruling NDA, which has opened the floodgates of welfare schemes targeting youth and women in particular.
Meanwhile, the RJD-led Opposition is determined to capitalise on perceived governance gaps, with the Congress hoping to regain lost ground and the RJD aiming to retain its status as the "Bade Bhai" (elder brother) within the alliance.
Despite visible and expected tensions over seat-sharing arrangements in both camps—the NDA and the INDIA bloc—the 2025 assembly election is poised for a triangular contest. The entry of the Jan Suraj Party, which has been organising itself systematically across the state, threatens to disrupt the vote banks of both major alliances.
Traditionally, the RJD commands strong influence among the MY (Muslim and Yadav) vote bank, while the NDA draws support primarily from anti-RJD voters, including EBCs and upper castes.
In the 2020 Assembly elections, the NDA secured 125 seats, while the Opposition collectively won 122. Within the NDA, the BJP emerged as the largest party, while the RJD led the Opposition with 75 seats. This time, a deluge of announcements and incentives from the NDA government under Nitish Kumar appears to have consolidated its support base. However, the RJD continues to challenge the ruling coalition on issues of employment and law and order, making a strong bid for power.
Meanwhile, the Jan Suraj Party offers a fresh narrative, promising to build a “new Bihar” and potentially reshaping the electoral dynamics of this high-stakes contest.