Bihar election 2025: The bihar assembly elections countdown has officially begun. On 6th October 2025, The Election Commission announced the Bihar assembly election procedure which will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11 in 2025. The result of the election will be declared on 14th November. After the announcement from the Election Commission Board, Bihar has entered into full-fledged election mode, and political parties are already ramping up their election campaigns.
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Bihar Election 2025 Candidates Overview
A lot is at stake for the key candidates of Bihar Election. Here’s a look at it:
Nitish Kumar
With both his personal legacy and his party relevance, this is an obvious make-or-break moment for chief minister Nitish Kumar in 2025 Bihar assembly election. This will be his 10th bid for the chief minister’s post after two decades of rule as a chief minister marked by governance reforms, social welfare programs and of course, the dramatic alliance shifts that earned his the nickname ‘Paltu Ram’.
Voters will judge this time whether his image as ‘Vikas Purush’ (development man), known for stability , law-and-order credibility still holds or whether policy stagnation, political fatigue and repeated flip-flops have eroded his mandate. Nitish will face the biggest challenge to fight the anti-incumbancy wave. The strong combat of anti-incumbancy wave against his government is indeed the biggest challenge for Nitish in this election.
At the age of 74, almost after 20 years in office he will now have to fight the fatigue among the voters. The question about his mental fitness and age have also entered the political debate, with opposition leaders openly raising doubts about Nitish’s ability to govern effectively.
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The 2025 Bihar assembly election will decide whether Nitish secures another term or whether it’s time for his to finally step down from the CM’s post. It’s also equally significant for the Janata Dal (United)’s survival as a major political party in Bihar. This election result will decide whether Nitish’s political party maintains its independent clout or it is going to relegated to a secondary role behind the BJP which is an ally.
Tejashwi Yadav
Former deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav who is the son of Lalu yadav, the 2025 Bihar assembly elections are going to be a pivotal test for both his personal leadership and the prospects of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). This election may become Tejashwi’s best chance yet to become the CM for the first time as the anti-incumbancy fatigue against Nitish which can be a significant gain.
Many voters are tired of Nitish Kumar’s long tenure as a CM for almost 20 years and looking for a fresh alternative leader. On the other side Tejashwi as a young, dynamic leader might get a significant chance to win the election due to getting attracted by traditional RJD supporters, and undecided or anti-establishment voters.
Under his leadership the RJD won 75 seats in the 2020 elections by making it the single-largest party in the state and positioning him as the primary face of the opposition in Bihar. Mahagathbandhan’s vote share is notable to realize which lagged narrowly behind that of the NDA by just 0.03%, which is approximately 12,768 votes out of 3.14 crore.
Give this near-miss in 2020 elections, the stakes and expectations for Tejashwi Yadav is even higher in 2025 and his performance will also determine the viability of the opposition in the state.
Rahul Gandhi
This election is a crucial test of his national leadership for Rahul Gandhi including the revival prospects of the Congress party, with-far-reaching implications for the INDIA bloc and Congress’s place in the opposition politics is clearly a vital moment in for him.
Rahul Gandhi faces immense pressure due to the recent losses in Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi to secure substantive gains in Bihar. His direct involvement in this election by doing rally ( Voter Adhikar Yatra), crafting manifestos like the ‘Atipichhda Nyay Sankalp’ for EBCs and public campaigns put his leadership credibility on the line especially after the past performances.
This election result will reveal whether Rahul can translate high-profile campaigning into votes or whether the opposition party like JD (U)-BJP and his ally RJD continue to dominate state politics. Bihar assembly election will also be the test of congress’s ground-level organisational skills. Which will show if Rahul could actually appeal to the Hindi heartland and mobilise backward and marginalised groups.
Chirag Paswan
Victory of Chirag Paswan’s Party in Bihar have dazzled on paper but left his influence on the ground-level wanting more. His party accumulates 6 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, repeating the feat in 2019 and clinching all five in 2024 by which he has made headlines in New Delhi. But still in the Hindi heartland, these wins have often felt more like hollow victories than a true mandate.
In this election, Chirag Paswan’s biggest test is to prove if he can translate national-level clout and substantial assembly presence and support from Dalit is moving beyond being a “spoiler” or junior partner to becoming a genuine regional force in the state’s power structure.
This election’s outcome will reveal whether Chirag Paswan’s strategy of public bargaining and “kingmaker” posturing can convert into actual MLAs or if it’s going to repeat the same pattern of 2020 election, undermining allies without building his own base.
Prashant Kishor
What’s at stake for Prashant Kishor in the upcoming Bihar election? Everything and nothing!
The strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor is making his electoral debut in Bihar by attempting to disrupt an already established caste-based politics and carve a meaningful role for his jan suraaj party (JSP). Kishor has announced that his party will contest all 243 assembly seats independently, refusing alliances and positioning JSP as a radical alternative aiming to break the longstanding political duopoly of JD(U)-BJP and RJD-Congress.
This election is a low-risk, high-reward gamble for him. Prashant kishor has declared that his party will either finish first or last without leaving any room for compromise. The key challenge for him lies in converting kishor’s personal brand and strategic expertise into actual legislative seats. This elections outcome will define his future as a political leader.
