Many high-profile faces are in the fray in Bihar elections 2025. Along with experienced leaders like Tejashwi Yadav, Bhojpuri star Khesari Lal Yadav, singer Maithili Thakur and former IPS Anand Mishra are also contesting the elections. There is tough competition on seats like Mokama and Danapur.
Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 have created history this time in many ways. This time there has been record voting and the election results will be revealed today. This time, along with the experienced faces of politics, the superstar of Bhojpuri film industry, famous folk singer and former IPS officer known as ‘Singham of Assam’ are also in the electoral fray. Ahead of the announcement of the results, the state’s eyes are on these stars and their high-profile bouts.
1. Tejashwi Yadav (Raghopur) – Main contender for the post of CM
Grand alliance’s main contender for the post of Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, is contesting from Raghopur seat for the third time. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son, who has registered consecutive victories in 2015 and 2020, is in direct competition with BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav. This is the same seat where Satish Yadav defeated Tejashwi’s mother Rabri Devi in 2010. This seat is always in discussion due to the majority of Yadav and Muslim voters.
2. Bhojpuri star Khesari Lal Yadav (Chhapra)
Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav has become the most talked about personality of this election. If 39-year-old Khesari, who is contesting from Chapra seat on RJD ticket, wins, then a new record will be created in Bhojpuri cinema. Superstars like Ravi Kishan, Manoj Tiwari and Nirahua had lost their first elections, so if Khesari Lal Yadav wins then he will become the ‘First Victory Star’ of the industry. Khesari, who has assets worth Rs 32.2 crore, has seen huge crowds in his rallies.
3. Folk singer Maithili Thakur (Alinagar) – Journey from art to politics
25-year-old famous folk singer Maithili Thakur is starting her political innings as BJP candidate from Alinagar seat. Maithili, which is extremely popular in the Mithila region, has received the support of Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. This talented singer of classical and folk music has assets worth Rs 3.8 crore and her claim has made the Alinagar contest interesting.
4. Battle of Mokama for supremacy: Anant Singh vs Veena Devi
The contest for Mokama seat is the most controversial and high-voltage one, where the reputation of two powerful families is at stake. Bahubali Anant Singh (‘Chhote Sarkar’), who is in jail in a murder case, is contesting on JDU ticket. His dominance over Mokama has continued for the last 20 years. However, this time his direct contest is from former RJD MP Veena Devi, who is the wife of strongman Surajbhan Singh. After 25 years, these two powerful families have come face to face in Mokama, making the competition very interesting. Veena Devi claimed during the campaign that if she could ‘reform’ her husband, she could also reform Mokama. Anant Singh has even started preparations for a banquet and celebration for 50,000 people even before the results.
5. ‘Singham of Assam’ Anand Mishra (Buxar) – From IPS to Politics
Anand Mishra, the BJP candidate from Buxar seat, is a former IPS officer who is known as the ‘Singham of Assam’. Mishra, who was popular among the youth due to his strict action against the drug mafia, resigned and joined politics in 2024. Emphasizing on issues of development, education and security, Mishra’s resolve is to give a ‘golden future’ to Buxar.
6. Tej Pratap Yadav (Mahua) – On his way
Tejashwi’s elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting elections from Mahua seat this time by forming his own party ‘Janshakti Janata Dal’ (JJD). Tej Pratap, who had won this seat in 2015, has become a triangular contest this time against RJD’s Mukesh Roshan and Lok Janshakti Party’s Sanjay Kumar Singh. Tej Pratap is claiming that his party will win 10 to 15 seats.
7. Samrat Chaudhary (Tarapur) – Claims to break records
Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary has again contested from Tarapur seat after a gap of 15 years. This seat has a mixed voter base of Kushwaha, Yadav, upper caste, Sah, Dalit and Muslim communities. Samrat Chaudhary claims that this time he will also break the record of 2010 election results by bringing Tarapur into BJP’s account for the first time, which will lay a strong foundation for his future politics.
8. Renu Devi (Bettiah) – Veteran woman leader
66-year-old veteran leader Renu Devi is contesting from Bettiah seat for the sixth time. She has been the first woman Deputy CM of Bihar from November 2020 to August 2022. Renu Devi, who had won from Bettiah in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2020, had lost in 2015, but made a comeback in 2020 by defeating the same rival (Madan Mohan Tiwari of Congress) by a huge vote.
9. Shivani Shukla (Lalganj) – For father’s freedom
28-year-old Shivani Shukla, who returned with an LLM degree from the University of Leeds, London, is a candidate from Lalganj seat on RJD ticket. His father Munna Shukla (who is in jail) has been a powerful leader of Lalganj. Shivani has clearly said that her main election objective is not to become a minister-MLA, but to free her jailed father. He has rivals like Sanjay Singh of BJP.
10. Deepa Manjhi (Imamganj) – Legacy of the Manjhi family
Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) candidate Deepa Manjhi is the daughter-in-law of Union Minister and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. This seat was vacant after Jitan Ram Manjhi won the Lok Sabha elections, which Deepa won in the 2024 by-election to take over the family legacy. Now she is facing strong rivals like RJD’s Ritu Priya Choudhary and Jan Suraj’s Dr. Ajit Kumar in the 2025 assembly elections.
11. Ritesh Pandey (Karghar) – Support of Bhojpuri stars
Bhojpuri singer-actor Ritesh Pandey is contesting for the first time from Karghar seat on Jan Suraj’s ticket. Bhojpuri stars like Arvind Akela Kallu, Nisha Upadhyay and Shilpi Raj have done massive road shows in support of Ritesh, due to which this seat has also become a topic of discussion.
12. Sandeep Saurabh (Paliganj) – Young face of Left parties
Sandeep Saurabh, CPI(ML) Liberation candidate from Paliganj seat, is the young face of the Left parties. Sandeep, former general secretary of JNU, had won the Paliganj seat in 2020 with 67,917 votes and is now contesting the elections again. He is working strongly on the issues of education, employment and youth rights.
13. Prem Kumar (Gaya Town) – Ninth attempt of ‘Maha Mantri’
Prem Kumar (70 years) is trying to win for the ninth consecutive time on BJP ticket from Gaya Town seat, where he has been elected as MLA eight times. Prem Kumar, who is called the ‘General Secretary of Gaya Town’, belongs to the extremely backward class (Kahar community). He was also the Leader of the Opposition in 2015 and Cooperation Minister in 2020. He holds a doctoral degree from Magadh University completed in 1999. Prem Kumar, who has assets worth Rs 13.7 crore, is facing the main competition from Akhori Omkar Nath of Congress and Dhirendra Agarwal of Jan Suraj.
14. Nitin Naveen (Bankipur) – Four-time MLA
Bihar government minister and BJP’s Nitin Naveen is contesting from Bankipur seat for the fourth consecutive time. 45-year-old Nitin Naveen became MLA by winning the by-election in 2006 and won consecutively from Bankipur in 2010, 2015 and 2020. In 2020, he defeated Congress’s Luv Sinha by a huge margin of about 84,000 votes. Nitin Naveen made a scathing attack on Tejashwi Yadav during the election campaign and claimed that Bihar will vote only in the name of development and stability.
15. Ritu Jaiswal (Parihar) – Revolt of ‘Mukhiya Didi’
Former state president of RJD’s women’s wing Ritu Jaiswal has rebelled after not getting a ticket from the party and has filed nomination as an independent candidate from Parihar seat of Sitamarhi. 48-year-old Ritu Jaiswal is famous as ‘Mukhiya Didi’ for her work at the Panchayat level. In 2020, she lost to BJP’s Gayatri Devi by a narrow margin of only 1,569 votes. Accusing the party of cheating, Ritu contested the election as an independent, due to which there is now a triangular contest on the Parihar seat.
16. Bijendra Prasad Yadav (Supaul) – 35 years of invincible rule
Senior JDU leader and Bihar government’s Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav has been elected MLA from Supaul assembly seat eight consecutive times since 1990, which is a unique record in Bihar politics. However, this time, voices of protest against him have also been heard from rural areas, where voters allege that development work like rural infrastructure and universities has not taken place during his 35 years of rule.
17. Danapur’s great fight: Ritlal Yadav vs Ramkripal Yadav
The most interesting and tough contest was Yadav vs Yadav between BJP and RJD on Danapur seat. The BJP has fielded veteran leader and former Union minister Ramkripal Yadav, while he faces RJD’s sitting MLA Ritlal Yadav, who defeated BJP’s Asha Devi in 2020. In the last five years, Ritlal has faced serious allegations of murder, extortion and land grabbing, due to which he had to go to jail. Ramkripal Yadav has made a scathing attack on Reetlal, while Reetlal is trying to save his stronghold amid controversies. The main issues of Danapur remain roads, flood control, unemployment and women safety.