The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections are being held in two phases—November 6 and November 11, with results on November 14
The stakes are monumental: 243 seats, a state that has historically swung between promises of development and the pull of social justice.
🔑 Main Agendas on the Ground
NDA (BJP + JD(U) + allies):
Prime Minister Modi has framed the election as a choice between “vikas” (development) and “vinash” (destruction)
Promises include women’s empowerment, youth employment, and a “Viksit Bihar” vision.
Nitish Kumar’s long tenure is projected as stability, though fatigue among voters is palpable.
Mahagathbandhan (RJD + Congress + Left + VIP):
Tejashwi Yadav has made jobs for youth his rallying cry, promising large-scale employment opportunities.
Welfare schemes like the “Mai Bahin Maan Yojana”, offering ₹30,000 annually to women, are being highlighted
The alliance is banking on anti-incumbency and disillusionment with Nitish Kumar’s governance
📊 Winning Probabilities
NDA:
Strong in urban centers, upper caste belts, and areas where BJP’s organizational machinery is entrenched.
Analysts suggest NDA could retain a slight edge if turnout among women and first-time voters is high, given Modi’s direct appeal
Mahagathbandhan:
Gains traction in rural Bihar, Yadav-Muslim dominated constituencies, and among unemployed youth.
If the anger against Nitish Kumar consolidates, the alliance could push the NDA into a neck-and-neck fight
The 2020 elections ended with NDA at 125 seats and Mahagathbandhan at 110 .This time, the contest looks tighter, with many predicting a split mandate where smaller parties like VIP and HAM could play kingmaker.
The Mood of Bihar
In Patna, the middle class talks about jobs and infrastructure.
In Darbhanga and Madhubani, cultural pride and Maithili identity mix with political choices.
In Seemanchal, issues of poverty and minority rights dominate.
Across the state, migration remains a sore wound—young men leaving for Delhi, Punjab, or Mumbai in search of work.
The Bihar elections are not just about who wins 243 seats—they are about the soul of a state that has always balanced between tradition and transformation. The NDA leans on its national leadership and development plank, while the Mahagathbandhan appeals to the aspirations of the young and marginalized.
As a correspondent who has seen Bihar’s political journey from the Mandal era to the Modi-Nitish-Tejashwi triangle, I can say this: the 2025 verdict will not just decide a government, it will decide whether Bihar chooses continuity or change.