Bihar elections 2025 are set to take place on November 6 and 11, with over 7.4 crore voters expected to cast their ballots. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)], Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP(RV)], Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), has finalized its candidate lists amidst internal seat-sharing negotiations.
Bihar elections 2025- BJP’s candidate List
The BJP has announced its complete slate of 101 candidates, including 71 in its first list, 12 in the second, and 18 in the third. Notable candidates include Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai), Union Minister Renu Devi (Bettiah), and senior leaders Ram Kripal Yadav (Danapur), Prem Kumar (Gaya), and former Deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad (Katihar). The party has also fielded singer Maithili Thakur from Alinagar and dropped 17 sitting MLAs, signaling a strategic reshuffle to enhance electoral prospects.
JDU candidate List
JD(U) has declared all 101 candidates allocated to it under the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement. The party’s final list includes 44 candidates, bringing its total to 101. Prominent nominees are ministers Sheila Mandal, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Leshi Singh, Jayant Raj, and Mohd Zama Khan. Additionally, JD(U) has fielded former RJD members Chetan Anand (Nabinagar) and Vibha Devi (Nawad), indicating a strategy to consolidate support among the Kurmi and Koeri communities.
LJP candidate List
LJP(RV), led by Chirag Paswan, has announced 14 candidates from the 29 seats allocated to it under the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement. State President Raju Tiwary will contest from Govindganj, while Hulas Pandey has been assigned Brahmapur. Other candidates include Seemant Mrinal (Garkha), Sanjay Kumar Singh (Simri Bakhtiyarpur), and Vishnu Dev Paswan (Darouli). Despite the NDA’s seat-sharing announcement, uncertainty continued regarding specific constituency allocations, and discontent was reported from NDA partners like Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, who were dissatisfied with the number of seats and constituencies allotted to their respective parties.
HAM and RLM candidate Lists
HAM has announced six candidates as part of the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement, while RLM has declared four candidates. These parties are expected to play a pivotal role in the NDA’s strategy to consolidate support among backward and marginalized communities.
The NDA’s candidate selections reflect a strategic approach to caste-based politics, with an emphasis on consolidating support among key communities such as Kurmis, Koeris, and Kushwahas. This approach aims to strengthen the NDA’s position in the upcoming elections and address challenges posed by internal disagreements and seat-sharing disputes within the alliance.