With the announcement of Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, nomination for the first phase of 121 seats has started. There is a tough contest between the NDA and the Grand Alliance, which is being made interesting by new parties like Jan Suraj and AIMIM. In 2020, the competition on these seats was equal.
Patna: With the announcement of the dates of Bihar Assembly elections 2025, the political temperature has reached its peak. As soon as the Election Commission sounded the bugle, the noise of ‘Who will win Bihar’ started echoing from the streets to the political corridors. Now that the nomination process for 121 assembly seats of the first phase has started from today, the field from Tirhut-Mithilanchal to Shahabad is completely ready.
121 seats in 18 districts in the first phase, competition is equal
Voting is to be held on 121 seats in 18 districts under the first phase on November 6. The highest share in these seats is from Tirhut and Mithilanchal regions of North Bihar. Where till now NDA has been dominant. At the same time, in the areas of Shahabad, Saran and Patna, the Grand Alliance had given a strong performance in the last elections. In the 2020 assembly elections, NDA won 59 seats and Grand Alliance won 61 seats. This time the contest is going to be even more competitive, because Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Party and AIMIM are also preparing to spoil the equation on some seats.
NDA’s fort in Tirhut-Mithilachal, Grand alliance has upper hand in Shahabad
If we look at the figures, NDA has a strong influence on half of the 70 seats in Tirhut-Mithilanchal. In 2020, BJP and JDU had performed brilliantly in districts like Darbhanga, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur and Nalanda. At the same time, the Grand Alliance maintained its hold in districts like Patna, Bhojpur, Siwan, Begusarai and Samastipur.
2020 vs 2025
In the 2020 assembly elections, BJP won 32 seats, JDU won 23 seats and VIP won 4 seats. In the grand alliance, RJD had 42 seats, Congress 8, ML 7 and other left parties had 4 seats. This time the contest seems to be reduced to the narrative of Nitish Kumar versus Tejashwi Yadav, and Modi versus Rahul.
Shock to NDA in Lok Sabha, challenge to return to Assembly
NDA had suffered a big loss in Shahabad region in the Lok Sabha elections, due to which the morale of the Grand Alliance has been boosted. However, NDA has also fielded some flags in the by-elections, due to which the contest is in balance. Nitish Kumar government has taken populist decisions in the last months. Focus has been increased on youth employment, women’s safety and social schemes.
The game becomes interesting due to political equations and entry of new parties.
This time there are not just two alliances in the fray. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Party and Owaisi’s AIMIM are making the contest triangular on many seats. Jan Suraj’s first look from PK has already grabbed everyone’s attention. Candidates ranging from doctors, eunuchs, actors to former officers have been made.