The politics is heating up in Bihar with the Assembly elections scheduled at the end of the year. Regional and national parties are preparing for this and have begun the seat-sharing process early to avoid last-minute hitches. The election will be a fiercely competitive battle for victory.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced many populist schemes, including free electricity. Starting August 1, domestic consumers in Bihar will receive up to 125 units of free electricity, benefiting approximately 1.67 crore consumers. These schemes are not just political strategies, but potential game-changers for the voters.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has also promised 200 units of free electricity if elected, while criticising the practice of offering freebies as a way to woo voters.
Bihar’s politics is dominated by three main parties: the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Janata Dal (United) JD (U)], each with loyal voter bases. The Mahaghatbandhan comprises the RJD, the Congress Party, and Left-Wing parties, with Tejaswi Yadav as the chairperson.
The 2020 results show that the RJD led the parties, garnering a vote share of 23.11%. The BJP came second with 19.4 percent, and its coalition partner, JD (U), came in third with 15.39 percent. The Congress received just 9.4 percent, and the left parties garnered 4.64 percent.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) aims to expand its Muslim and Yadav voter base by reaching out to other castes, including the Kushwaha, Dhanuk, and Mallah. He is collaborating with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) to attract non-Paswan and non-Manjhi Dalit voters.
The NDA faces a greater challenge in the 2025 election than it did in 2020 due to the phenomenon of anti-incumbency. Additionally, Nitish Kumar has lost much of his popularity and is also suffering from health problems.
The CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI(M-L)L) aims to support marginalised working-class voters within the INDIA coalition. At the same time, Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraaj Party targets younger, caste-neutral voters. New parties are also emerging to challenge leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar.
Continuing with his poll sops Nitish also plans to install solar power plants on rooftops and in public places. The aim is to generate 10000 MW of solar energy.
On July 16, the Chief Minister directed the Education Department to identify teacher vacancies and expedite the Teachers’ Recruitment Exam (TRE)-4 for over 120,000 aspiring teachers. On July 8, the Nitish government introduced a 35 percent quota for women in government jobs and permanent residents, promoting gender equality and workforce opportunities for women.
Jobs are a significant issue for voters. The Bihar Cabinet recently approved a plan to create one crore jobs over the next five years, promising a brighter future for the state.
Nitish Kumar announced on X, “I am happy to report that 1 million youths in our state have secured government jobs, with about 3.9 million finding employment. Our goal is to create over 5 million job opportunities. Through the Saat Nischay programme, we offer skill development training to support those starting their own businesses, and we plan to expand these efforts in the next five years.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi labelled Patna as the “crime capital.” BSP chief Mayawati stated on X that “Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the NDA government is making announcements to divert public attention.” Other opposition parties also criticised the move.
Why is Nitish announcing these benefits? The 2025 elections are expected to be a close contest in Bihar, and Nitish Kumar, who has been chief minister for over 20 years, is aiming for a tenth term. This election could be his last in Bihar. On the one hand, this situation could benefit Nitish; on the other hand, his 20 years in power could lead to significant voter fatigue. The BJP, supporting him, is positioning Nitish as the leader of the NDA. In the 2020 elections, the JD (U) won only 43 seats while the BJP secured 74, leading to the decision to grant Nitish the chief ministership.
Nitish faces criticism for the deteriorating law and order situation, the poor implementation of government schemes, particularly the liquor ban, and poor educational standards. Added to that are the teacher vacancies and inadequate infrastructure. These issues have affected Nitish’s popularity.
At 74, Nitish Kumar remains a key player in Bihar politics, despite challenges to his health and the JD (U)’s poor performance. He has strong backing from Mahadalits, Kurmis, Koeris, and other backwards classes. The JD (U) gains upper-caste and non-Yadav OBC support when allied with the BJP but loses upper-caste backing when competing alone, as seen in the 2014 elections.
The Congress party is also working to rebuild its support while continuing to draw on its past glory. The Congress lacks effective state leaders and a base.
This makes the 2025 Bihar elections a high-stakes battle. Tejasvi Yadav should be the opposition face against Nitish. As the election date approaches, the political situation in Bihar will become clearer. Still, it will undoubtedly be a no-holds-barred contest.
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