The political fate of Bihar will be sealed with the completion of the second and final phase of voting on November 11, with the official election result scheduled to be declared on November 14, 2025. This high-stakes electoral battle across all 243 assembly constituencies will determine if Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U)-BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) retains power, securing a record tenth term for the CM, or if Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD-led INDIA bloc manages to unseat the veteran politician.
The Two-Phase Polling Schedule
The election is being conducted in two phases, covering the entire state:
- First Phase (November 6): This phase covered 121 constituencies across 18 districts. The voting concluded peacefully with a notable 65.08% voter turnout, a significant increase from the 57.29% recorded during the 2020 assembly polls.
- Second Phase (November 11): The final phase will see voting for the remaining 122 constituencies across 20 districts, including key regions like Gaya, Nawada, Jamui, Bhagalpur, and Purnia.
Bihar’s chief electoral officer (CEO) highlighted the successful conclusion of the first phase and the nearly 8% rise in voter participation compared to the previous assembly elections.
What’s At Stake in the 2025 Contest
The election is a crucial test for both the ruling and opposition alliances, set against a backdrop of shifting loyalties since the last polls.
The Ruling NDA
The incumbent NDA government currently holds a comfortable majority in the outgoing assembly with 132 MLAs, exceeding the required 122-mark. The alliance is spearheaded by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a dominant figure who has switched alliances multiple times since 2020, and includes the BJP (led by Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha), JD(U), and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
The Opposition INDIA Bloc
The opposition front is led by Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, the leader of the opposition and son of former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav. Yadav is focusing his campaign on core issues such as unemployment and development gaps, hoping to mobilize voters tired of the long-standing political establishment. In the outgoing assembly, the RJD has 75 MLAs, supported by the Congress (19) and the CPI(ML)-Liberation (12).
The Intriguing Third Front
Adding complexity to the electoral dynamics is the debut of renowned political strategist Prashant Kishor. His new outfit, the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), is contesting all 243 constituencies, positioning itself as a third front seeking to disrupt the traditional bipolar politics of the state.
The Volatile Post-2020 Political Landscape
The 2020 Bihar Assembly polls saw a narrow victory for the NDA, which secured 125 seats (BJP 74, JD(U) 43). The RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats. However, the subsequent years have been defined by extreme political volatility, notably Nitish Kumar’s brief return to the RJD-led alliance in 2022 before he eventually rejoined the NDA in early 2024.
The counting of votes on November 14 will finally reveal whether this time the NDA alliance holds firm under Nitish Kumar, or if Tejashwi Yadav’s INDIA bloc succeeds in bringing about a generational shift in Bihar politics.