Patna : Bihar’s assembly elections enter a crucial stage on November 6, with 121 seats across 18 districts going to the polls. A total of 1,314 candidates are in the fray, but the spotlight is firmly on the top names from both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan.
Among them are deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and opposition chief ministerial face Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and his brother, Tej Pratap Yadav. Also in contention are JDU’s state president Umesh Kushwaha, Bhojpuri actor-turned-candidate Khesari Lal Yadav, and singer-activist Maithili Thakur, making this phase one of the most politically charged in the election cycle.
Key BJP and NDA contenders
The Bharatiya Janata Party has put several of its senior leaders into the contest early. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary is contesting Tarapur against RJD’s Arun Shah, while fellow deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha seeks re-election from Lakhisarai. Former union minister Mangal Pandey is standing from Siwan, while Nitin Nabin is in the fray from Bankipur in Patna.
Other key NDA faces include Sanjay Sarawgi (Darbhanga General), Kedar Prasad Gupta (Kurhani), Surendra Mehta (Bachhwara), Jivesh Mishra (Jale), Sunil Kumar (Bihar Sharif) and Krishna Kumar Mantu (Sheikhpura).
For the Janata Dal (United), the list is equally substantial: finance minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary from Sarairanjan, Raj Kumar Ray from Hasanpur, Maheshwar Hazari from Kalyanpur, Sunil Kumar from Bhore, Ratnesh Sada from Sonbarsa, Madan Sahni from Bahadurpur, Shravan Kumar from Nalanda, Anand Mishra from Buxar and Anant Singh from Mokama.
Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has fielded Achutanand from Mahnar, testing the strength of NDA allies.
RJD and Mahagathbandhan: heavyweights and new bets
Mahagathbandhan leader Tejashwi Yadav is defending his Raghopur seat against BJP’s Satish Yadav. In Mahua, Tej Pratap Yadav has entered the race as an independent backed by his new outfit, the Jan Shakti Janata Dal (JJD), challenging RJD’s Mukesh Kumar Roshan and LJP’s Sanjay Kumar.
Actor Khesari Lal Yadav is the alliance candidate from Chhapra, while Owaisi-linked candidate Osama Shahab is contesting from Raghunathpur. The Congress has fielded Shashank Shekhar from Patna Sahib and Sanjay Kumar Tiwari (Munna Tiwari) from Buxar.
Friendly fights complicate Mahagathbandhan strategy
Despite claims of unity, seat-sharing tensions have surfaced within the Mahagathbandhan. “Friendly contests” are underway in Vaishali, Warisnagar, Lalganj and Kahalgaon between the Congress and RJD, while the Congress is facing the Left in seats like Bachhwara, Rajapakar, Rosera and Bihar Sharif. The internal skirmishes could split votes in tightly contested areas.
Battlefields to watch
Several seats are expected to shape the political narrative, including Tarapur, Lakhisarai, Bankipur, Siwan, Darbhanga General, Kurhani, Buxar, Nalanda, Mokama, Mahua, Raghopur, Chhapra, Sonbarsa, Sarairanjan and Patna Sahib.
Cultural icon and BJP face Maithili Thakur is contesting from Alinagar, adding a unique mix of soft power and symbolism to the election.
Voters and issues
Bihar has 7.43 crore voters, including 14 lakh first-time voters. Joblessness, migration and development have dominated the campaign. The NDA has promised large-scale employment generation, while the Mahagathbandhan has accused the government of failing to curb migration and mismanaging the voter list.
Results on 14 November
The outcome of this phase is expected to influence the direction of the entire election. Counting will take place on 14 November.
