Patna: The nomination process for the first phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections closed on Friday, but the spirit of dissent continues to dominate Bihar’s political landscape. Rebel candidates have emerged across the political spectrum — from the ruling NDA to the opposition Grand Alliance — threatening to upset carefully crafted alliances and internal equations.
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United)— key constituents of the NDA — are facing significant internal strife, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, the main parties in the opposition bloc, are grappling with their own disgruntled members. Left parties, meanwhile, have expressed dissatisfaction over seat distribution within the Grand Alliance.
JD (U) Faces a String of Resignations
The JD (U), which secured 101 seats under the NDA seat-sharing agreement, is witnessing discontent among several leaders who were left out of the candidate list. Former ministers Jai Kumar Singh (Dinara) and Shailesh Kumar (Jamalpur), along with Gopal Mandal, Sudarshan Kumar, Khurshid Alam, and Asma Parveen, have resigned from party posts and announced their independent bids.
Asma Parveen, daughter of former minister Ilyas Hussain, has filed her nomination from Mahua — a seat now allotted to the LJP. Jai Kumar Singh’s Dinara constituency has gone to another ally’s quota. Mandal and others have publicly declared their intent to contest as independents, though Mandal maintained that he would continue supporting CM Nitish Kumar if elected.
BJP Grapples with Major Dissent
The BJP, which also holds 101 seats under the NDA pact, has been hit by a wave of rebellion after denying tickets to 17 sitting MLAs. The most visible anger has surfaced in Muzaffarpur, where supporters of Aurai MLA and former minister Ram Surat Rai have surrounded the party office.
Singer Maithili Thakur’s nomination from Alinagar has further divided local workers, while senior leader Mishrilal Yadav has resigned. In Bhagalpur, Arjit Shashwat Choubey — son of former Union Minister Ashwini Choubey — and Prashant Vikram have declared independent candidacies. Former Chhapra Mayor Rakhi Gupta has followed suit.
Rebellions have also been reported in Gopalganj, Maharajganj, Barauli, and Paru, where senior leaders have protested against seat allocations to allies. In East Champaran, former BJP leader Lal Babu Prasad is contesting on a Jan Suraaj Party ticket.
RJD and Congress Struggle to Contain Anger
The RJD, which leads the Grand Alliance, is facing defiance from over a dozen leaders. In Sitamarhi, former minister Ranju Geeta has threatened to run as an independent, while former MLA Saroj Yadav from Barhara has launched a scathing attack on the party leadership after being denied a ticket.
In Vaishali, the RJD’s decision to nominate Munna Shukla’s daughter, Shivangi Shukla, has sparked discontent, especially as Congress has also fielded its own candidate there.
Adding to the turmoil, Sharad Yadav’s son Shantanu Yadav was denied an RJD ticket from Madhepura. Calling it a “political conspiracy,” he expressed frustration on social media, while his sister Subhashini Yadav accused RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav of “betrayal” in a sharp online post.
Congress Faces Neglect Claims
The Congress, which released its first list of 48 candidates just hours before nominations closed, has sidelined several senior leaders and replaced three sitting MLAs. Despite being part of the Grand Alliance, Congress fielded candidates in seats contested by allies, including Bachhwara — traditionally held by the CPI(ML).
This prompted CPI(ML) to retaliate by announcing candidates in three Congress-held constituencies — Biharsharif, Rajapakad, and Rosera — with plans to expand to 12 more in the next phase. CPI(ML) state secretary Ramnaresh Pandey criticised Congress for “violating alliance coordination.”
Out of the 49 Congress candidates announced so far, 19 belong to upper castes — eight Bhumihars, five Rajputs, and six Brahmins — alongside four Muslim and five women candidates. The party has also fielded 17 candidates from backward and extremely backward classes, and 10 from Scheduled Castes.
