Patna: The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections are witnessing an unprecedented wave of participation by educated and dynamic women candidates, reshaping the state’s traditional political fabric. Once dominated by caste equations and family legacies, the contest is now marked by a surge of young leaders bringing academic excellence and new perspectives into the fray.
Among the most talked-about is Lata Singh, the Jan Suraaj candidate from Asthawan in Nalanda district. A Supreme Court advocate, Singh is the daughter of former Union Minister RCP Singh and sister of IPS officer Lipi Singh. Contesting from what has long been Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s stronghold, she remains respectful yet critical of his leadership. “I still have respect for Nitish Kumar, but he is no longer the same. Through Jan Suraaj, we want to give Bihar a new direction,” she says.
In Vaishali’s Lalganj constituency, Shivani Shukla, the RJD candidate, represents the next generation of the Shukla political family. The daughter of strongman Munna Shukla and former MLA Annu Shukla, she is a law graduate from Bengaluru and holds a master’s degree from Leeds University in the UK. “I am contesting Lalganj as Tejashwi Bhaiya’s nominee, a constituency previously represented by my parents,” she explains.
From the BJP, Shreyasi Singh, the sitting MLA from Jamui, continues to be a prominent face combining politics and sports. A gold medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Singh is the daughter of former Union Minister Digvijay Singh. An alumna of DPS RK Puram, Hansraj College, and holder of an MBA from Faridabad, she entered politics as a national youth icon and remains a symbol of women’s achievement beyond traditional spheres.
Representing the CPI-ML from Digha in Patna, Divya Gautam brings both academic and social activism credentials to her campaign. A TISS Mumbai postgraduate, UGC NET qualifier, and Bihar Public Service Commission exam achiever, Gautam—also a cousin of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput—says her focus is on “bringing education and employment issues to the centre of politics.”
Meanwhile, Komal Singh, contesting from Gaighat in Muzaffarpur as the JD(U) candidate, exemplifies political legacy blended with corporate experience. The daughter of JD(U) MLC Dinesh Singh and Vaishali MP Veena Devi, Komal holds a degree from Delhi University and an MBA from Symbiosis University, Pune. Before joining politics, she worked with the Tata Group.
