Nitish Kumar and singer Maithili Thakur during a roadshow in Bihar on Saturday. (Image: ANI)
New Delhi: With just a few days left for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, political activity has reached fever pitch across the state. Leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan, or MGB) are making a final push to woo voters in constituencies going to the polls on November 6. Following the conclusion of the Chhath festival earlier last week, the MGB unveiled its joint election manifesto, highlighting priorities such as employment generation, healthcare, education, and social welfare. Meanwhile, the NDA released a comprehensive 25-point manifesto focused on job creation, women’s empowerment, and major investments in agriculture, health, and infrastructure—promising an employment-driven growth model for Bihar.
In this first phase, 16 ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government are contesting—11 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and five from the Janata Dal United (JDU). Voting will be held across 121 constituencies in 18 districts, where a direct contest is expected between the ruling NDA and the Opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc. Districts such as Muzaffarpur, Kurhani, Mahnar, and Bahadur are witnessing the highest number of contestants, adding intensity to the electoral battle.
According to the Election Commission, 1,690 nominations were filed between October 10 and 17, of which 135 were rejected on technical grounds. The BJP has fielded the largest number of candidates, followed by the RJD, Congress, Left parties, and other regional outfits, leading to multicornered contests in several constituencies.
In terms of direct faceoffs, the RJD and BJP are clashing on 25 seats, the RJD and JDU on 34 seats, and the NDA and Congress on 23 seats. There are also 12 constituencies, each witnessing direct contests between the LJP (Ram Vilas) [LJP(R)] and RJD, and between the BJP and Congress. Among the Left parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI(ML)] has fielded candidates on 14 seats—facing the JDU on seven, the BJP on five, and the LJP(R) on two. The Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) will take on the BJP in three constituencies and the JDU in one, while smaller parties like the Indian Insaaf Party (IIP) and the CPI are contesting against the BJP and JDU in individual seats.
This phase is being viewed as a referendum on the popularity of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD. Among the key figures in the fray are Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai), along with Opposition Leader Tejashwi Yadav (Raghopur). Kurhani and Muzaffarpur have the highest number of candidates (20 each), while Alauli and Parbatta have the lowest, with just five contestants each.
Prominent BJP ministers in the running include Panchayati Raj Minister Kedar Prasad Gupta from Kurhani (Muzaffarpur), Tourism Minister Raju Kumar Singh from Sahebganj, Sports Minister Surendra Mehta from Bachhwara (Begusarai), and Urban Development and Housing Minister Jibesh Mishra from Jale (Darbhanga). Environment and Climate Change Minister Sunil Kumar is contesting from Bihar Sharif (Nalanda), and IT Minister Krishan Kumar Mantoo is contesting from Amonour (Saran).
From the JDU, senior leader and Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary is contesting from Sarairanjan (Samastipur), while Information and Public Relations Minister Maheshwar Hazari is in the fray from the reserved seat of Kalyanpur. JDU state president Umesh Kushwaha is contesting from Mahnar, while the RJD has fielded Bhola Yadav, a close aide of Lalu Prasad, in a key contest.
Other heavyweight candidates include Health Minister Mangal Pandey (Siwan) and former minister Nitin Nabin (Bankipur). Former Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav is up against jailed RJD MLA Ritlal Yadav. In Patna Sahib, Congress candidate and IIT Delhi alumnus Shashank Shekhar is taking on BJP’s Ratnesh Kushwaha.
Several high-profile faces are also adding glamour to the electoral battlefield—Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD), folk singer Maithili Thakur (Alinagar), and Mohammad Shahabuddin’s son Osama Sahab (Raghunathpur). Other notable contestants include ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (Sarairanjan), Shravan Kumar (Nalanda), Jibesh Mishra (Jale), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), and Ratnesh Sada (Sonbarsa).
Political observers view this first phase as a critical test of Bihar’s evolving political landscape. Both the NDA and the MGB are working to defend their bastions while seeking to expand into each other’s territories. The presence of smaller players and emerging groups such as Jan Suraaj and the Left has further complicated the contest. An observer added both the BJP and JDU are emphasizing their alliance’s cohesion and development agenda, while the RJD, Congress, and CPI(ML) are highlighting their unity under the I.N.D.I.A bloc banner. The outcome of the November 6 polls will not only influence the subsequent phases but could also prove decisive in shaping the state’s political direction for the years to come.
