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Parties and alliances, and variegated caste and interest groups, are repositioning themselves to optimise their strengths in Bihar before the Assembly election which is due later this year. After the BJP’s victory in Haryana for a third time in a row and the NDA recouping its losses in the 2024 general election to return to power in Maharashtra, all eyes are now on Bihar. There are intra-party and inter-party dynamics at play in both poles — the NDA on the one side and the Mahagathbandhan of the RJD, the Congress and the Left on the other. On Tuesday (April 15, 2025), RJD and Congress leaders met in Delhi, with more discussions to follow. Last month, Home Minister Amit Shah paid a two-day visit to the State, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Madhubani on April 24. The BJP, which has played second fiddle to the Janata Dal (United) for nearly two decades, is restive for the lead role. In a Freudian slip, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said at an event in Gurgaon, that Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary would unfurl the “flag of victory” in the Assembly polls. This led the RJD to gleefully ask whether the BJP had abandoned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, which in turn left the BJP scrambling to clarify matters. With his advancing age and frail health, Mr. Kumar is under scrutiny.
In the Mahagathbandhan, there is distrust. The Congress and the Left are wary that the RJD will leave seat-sharing arrangements to the last minute, giving them little room to manoeuvre. In addition, the Congress has complained that it is often burdened with weak seats and later criticised for bad strike rate, citing the example of the 2020 elections where it could win only 19 seats out of the 70. The CPI(ML), which registered a stunning performance in 2020, winning 12 of the 19 seats it contested, has lamented that despite strong cadres, it is given the smaller share of the seat pie. The RJD too has its own demons to face. Since 2005 it has not been able to return to power, barring the short interludes when it allied with the JD(U) in 2015 and in 2022. Its vote share remains static and while it has repeatedly come within striking distance of power, the last mile seems far too arduous for it to cover. While the leading parties face challenges within and outside, there is also a wider political churn. On Monday (April 14, 205), Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s estranged uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, who leads one of the two factions of the erstwhile Lok Janshakti Party, cut his ties with the NDA. Political strategist-turned politician Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj is struggling to find a foothold despite the bluster. All told, Bihar promises to be an open contest, with many variables still in the mix.
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Published – April 16, 2025 12:20 am IST
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Bihar rumblings: On political parties and the Bihar poll
