Bihar Legislative Assembly Election – 2025

The 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in two phases on 6 and 11 November 2025, with vote counting on 14 November 2025. All 243 constituencies of the Bihar Legislative Assembly will go to polls, and a party or coalition will require 122 seats to secure a majority. The election, supervised by the Election Commission of India (ECI), is being conducted amid significant political shifts, governance debates, and controversy surrounding the voter roll revision.

Background

The previous Bihar Assembly elections were held in October–November 2020, resulting in the formation of a government led by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] as Chief Minister.
Subsequent years saw multiple realignments of alliances. In August 2022, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) broke from the NDA and joined the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) alliance, partnering with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) led by Tejashwi Yadav. However, in January 2024, JD(U) again severed ties with the RJD and rejoined the BJP-led NDA, restoring Nitish Kumar’s coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The 2025 election thus follows an extended period of political fluidity, with alliances reconfigured and leadership contests intensifying across Bihar’s fragmented political landscape.

Election Schedule

The Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule on 6 October 2025. Voting will occur in two phases, with detailed nomination and withdrawal timelines as follows:

Political Alliances and Contesting Parties

National Democratic Alliance (NDA)

The ruling NDA coalition is led by Nitish Kumar and includes the JD(U), BJP, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan, Rashtriya Lok Morcha under Upendra Kushwaha, and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) led by Jitan Ram Manjhi. The alliance agreed on a near-equal seat-sharing formula between JD(U) and BJP.

• JD(U) – 101 seats
• BJP – 100 seats
• LJP (Ram Vilas) – 26 seats
• Rashtriya Lok Morcha – 8 seats
• HAM(S) – 8 seats

Mahagathbandhan (MGB) / INDIA Bloc

The MGB, or INDIA bloc, serves as the principal opposition front, led by Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD. Its composition includes:

• RJD – 138 seats
• Indian National Congress (INC) – 57 seats
• Left Front (CPI(ML) Liberation – 26, CPI – 6, CPI(M) – 4)
• Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) – 22 seats
• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) – 3 seats
• Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) – 3 seats

Other Parties

• Jan Suraaj Party (JSP): Led by Prashant Kishor, contesting all 243 seats independently.
• All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM): Headed by Akhtarul Iman, focusing on the Seemanchal region.
• Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Contesting all seats separately.
• Plurals Party: Led by Pushpam Priya Choudhary, also fielding candidates across all constituencies.

Campaign Themes and Issues

Employment and Migration

Unemployment and mass migration remain dominant concerns. Bihar’s chronic out-migration of youth for employment has shaped electoral discourse. The RJD and Congress pledged large-scale job creation, while the NDA highlighted ongoing industrial and welfare initiatives.

Caste and Social Justice

Caste remains an enduring factor in Bihar’s politics. All major parties supported a state-level caste census and reiterated commitments to “social justice”. Targeted mobilisation among Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalits, and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) forms a key electoral strategy for both alliances.

Governance and Corruption

Tejashwi Yadav and the opposition accused the Nitish Kumar-led government of institutionalised corruption and of using welfare schemes for electoral advantage. The NDA countered by recalling the “jungle raj” narrative of the RJD’s past and promoting its record in welfare delivery, infrastructure, and law and order.

Voter Roll Revision Controversy

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, initiated by the Election Commission in June 2025, became a major flashpoint. The revision required re-registration of voters using eleven specified documents—excluding common IDs such as Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration Cards.
Critics warned that the policy risked disenfranchising millions, especially migrant workers, who form a significant part of Bihar’s population. Opposition parties accused the ruling alliance of manipulating the process to suppress voter turnout. The Supreme Court of India later advised the ECI to include standard identification documents, though the Commission declined to amend its guidelines.
Subsequent claims, including Tejashwi Yadav’s allegation that his name had been deleted, led to public disputes between political parties and the poll body. The ECI described Yadav’s voter ID as “fake”, intensifying political acrimony.

Party Campaign Strategies

• NDA: Focused on welfare schemes, rural electrification, and social security programmes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies highlighted development projects, while BJP targeted the RJD’s law-and-order record. Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) stressed continuity and administrative stability.
• RJD and INDIA Bloc: Centred campaigns on youth, employment, and anti-incumbency. Tejashwi Yadav leveraged social media and AI-driven outreach, while Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Kanhaiya Kumar undertook padyatras and rallies across districts.
• Jan Suraaj Party: Led by Prashant Kishor, the party’s Bihar Badlav Yatra sought to build a grassroots alternative to both major coalitions. It promised transparent governance, education reform, and internal democracy through candidate primaries and recall provisions for non-performing legislators.
• AIMIM: Under Asaduddin Owaisi, the party launched the Seemanchal Nyay Yatra, focusing on minority rights and economic justice in north-eastern Bihar.

Digital and Ground-Level Campaigning

The 2025 election witnessed a blend of technology-driven outreach and traditional political mobilisation.

• The RJD used AI-generated campaign videos and social media memes.
• The BJP relied on WhatsApp groups and door-to-door campaigns led by Mahila Vistaraks (women volunteers).
• Congress and Left parties conducted physical rallies and street campaigns.
• Jan Suraaj relied on panchayat-level engagement and Kishor’s direct voter interaction across 5,500 villages.

Major Controversies

Electoral Roll and Legal Disputes

The SIR exercise drew national and international scrutiny, with analysts fearing disenfranchisement of marginalised voters. The issue reached the Supreme Court in July 2025, but the ECI maintained its authority to verify citizenship documents independently.

Symbolic and Cultural Flashpoints

An RJD event controversy involving a portrait of Dr B. R. Ambedkar placed on the floor triggered protests from Dalit organisations and the SC/ST Commission. The RJD called it a political ploy, while NDA leaders accused the opposition of disrespecting national icons.

Election Significance

The 2025 Bihar Assembly election is regarded as one of India’s most consequential state contests of the decade. It represents a test of:

• Nitish Kumar’s longevity and credibility after multiple alliance shifts.
• Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership and the INDIA bloc’s unity.
• Prashant Kishor’s political experiment with Jan Suraaj as a reformist alternative.
• The voter roll revision controversy, shaping public trust in electoral institutions.

Bihar’s outcome will likely influence the balance of political power ahead of the 2026 state elections and the 2029 general election, reaffirming the state’s pivotal role in India’s democratic and federal landscape.

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