Patna: As Bihar enters the election year, the state’s political landscape is heating up. The outcome of the 2025 assembly polls will be awaited with bated breath, as various alliances and parties gear up to woo voters.
The ruling NDA and the RJD-led Grand Alliance are facing challenges within their respective camps, while newcomer Jan Suraaj, led by Prashant Kishor, has already made its presence felt with a 10% vote share in recent byelection.
Political analysts say 2025 is going to be very “crucial” for both the ruling NDA and the Grand Alliance, which narrowly missed the opportunity to form its govt after the 2020 assembly elections despite getting close to the magical figure of 122 seats.
Although newbie Jan Suraaj lost the bypolls to all four seats, it was able to garner 10% vote share, which has alarmed both the front line alliances in the state. What was further surprising was that newcomer Jan Suraaj finished runner-up in the bypoll to the Bihar Legislative Council from the Tirhut graduates’ constituency, whereas the RJD and JD(U), ended up getting third and fourth respectively.
Taking the 2025 assembly polls as a challenge, the Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has launched his state-wide yatra much in advance to reach out to prospective voters and gain their support. During the his yatra, Tejashwi has promised doles like crediting Rs 2,500 in the bank accounts of poor women, provide Rs 1,500 as monthly pension to widows and the elderly, 200 units of free electricity to every household and removal of smart prepaid meters if the alliance is voted to power in the state. He also promised to halt migration and provide jobs to the unemployed.
“2025 is set to usher in change in your life,” Tejashwi claimed in his letter to the people of the state issued on Wednesday.
Amid promises of Tejashwi, there are challenges in the opposition camp. While the Congress has made public its intention not to settle for less than 70 seats that it got in the last assembly polls under the seat-sharing deal, party chief Lalu Prasad created ripples by openly supporting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s willingness to head the INDIA bloc.
The ruling NDA is facing its own set of challenges. Analysts say the biggest challenge is to keep CM Nitish Kumar in good humour. A statement by Union minister Amit Shah regarding Nitish’s political future post-2025 sparked discussions in political circles. The issue got complicated further after BJP’s deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, while addressing a function, said the party’s “mission” remains incomplete until it forms its own govt in the state. The BJP faces the challenge to satisfy allies led by Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha over seat allocations.
“This year will see several new leaders from the NDA coming to the front, and we will win nothing less than 220 seats,” state BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma said on Wednesday, adding the NDA would make a smooth return to power. He rejected PK’s party as a force to reckon with.