The influence of muscle power has increased in Bihar elections 2025. According to the ADR report, 22 candidates face serious criminal cases, which is more than in 2020. RJD has given tickets to 9 such faces, JDU to 7 and BJP to 4 such faces.
Patna: The bugle for Bihar Assembly elections 2025 has been sounded, but this time too the old nexus of politics and muscle power has once again come to the fore in the electoral battle. According to the recent report and election analysis of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 22 such candidates have been fielded on different seats of the state, against whom serious criminal cases have been registered. Of these, cases of murder, kidnapping, extortion and serious violent crimes are pending against 14 candidates.
ADR report shows that this time one out of every five candidates contesting elections has some criminal case registered against them. The most shocking thing is that in the 2020 assembly elections, the number of such serious muscle power candidates was 17, which has increased to 22 in 2025, that is, the influence of muscle power in Bihar has not decreased, but has increased further.
Party wise account of strongmen: Who is in how much water?
All the major parties have taken a risk in ticket distribution in the matter of fielding tainted faces in the election field. However, most of the candidates are in the fray on the ticket of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the largest party of the grand alliance. According to the data, RJD has given tickets to 9 strongmen or their family members, the highest among any other party. After this, the ruling alliance’s Janata Dal United (JDU) is in second place by fielding 7 such faces, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also placed its bet on 4 tainted faces. Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has also given tickets to 2 candidates.
Famous faces and their families
Parties have not only given tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds, but have also fielded wives or relatives of many high-profile musclemen, to take advantage of their caste and regional hold.
Major strong candidate of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
- The RJD list includes nine names, including many from traditional Bahubali-influenced seats like Mokama, Danapur and Raghunathpur.
- Ritlal Yadav (Danapur): Counted among the biggest musclemen of Patna. He himself is in the electoral fray and has a long criminal history.
- Veena Devi (Mokama): This seat has been the center of muscle power politics for a long time. Veena Devi has been given ticket from here. Veena Devi is the wife of Surajbhan.
- Osama Shahab (Raghunathpur): Osama Shahab, who comes from the family of late former MP Shahabuddin, also has many cases registered against him.
- Anita Devi (Warisaliganj): Anita Devi is the wife of Bahubali Ashok Mahato. Had also contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but lost.
- Karanveer Singh alias Lallu Mukhiya (Flood): RJD has made its strategy clear by giving ticket to Lallu Mukhiya, who dominates the area, from Flood.
- Shivani Shukla (Lalganj) and Chandni Singh (Baniapur): These women candidates have also been given tickets as they come from Bahubali background.
- Apart from this, Vishwanath Yadav (Belaganj) and Dipu Ranaut (Sandesh) are in the electoral fray.
Major candidates of Janata Dal United (JDU)
- JDU has also fielded seven such candidates to solve the electoral equations.
- Anant Singh (Mokama): He is in direct competition with RJD’s Veena Devi on Mokama seat. Anant Singh is a big name in Bihar politics against whom many serious cases are registered.
- Dhumal Singh (Ekma): Dhumal Singh’s hold on this seat is considered strong.
- Chetan Anand (Navinagar): Chetan Anand, son of Shivhar’s strong leader Anand Mohan, has got the ticket from Navinagar.
- Radha Charan Shah (Message): He is also among the leaders with criminal record.
- Apart from this, JDU has fielded Amarendra Pandey from Kuchaykot, Randhir Singh from Manjhi and Vibha Devi from Nawada.
Prominent names of other parties
BJP candidate
- Aruna Devi – Warisaliganj
- Kedarnath Singh – Baniyapur
- Vishal Prashant Pandey – Tarari
- Rakesh Ojha – Shahpur
LJP (Ram Vilas) [LJP(R)] candidate
- Hulas Pandey – Brahmapur
- Rupa Kumari – Fatuha