It is not yet certain who will be the Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar after the 2025 assembly elections, but current news and political signals offer some strong possibilities and a highly contested race. As of now, Nitish Kumar (from JD(U), part of the NDA) is the sitting Chief Minister and remains a prominent contender. His party has already made it clear that if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) wins the election, he will be their CM candidate again. Many state-level leaders and allies have reiterated 2025, Phir Se Nitish (2025, Nitish again) as a rallying slogan, signaling confidence within the NDA camp about his return.
On the opposition side, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD (part of the Mahagathbandhan or INDIA bloc) is the most visible challenger. In recent surveys, he has been leading in the public imagination as a preferred CM candidate, with roughly 35 % of respondents naming him in C-Voter polls (though this represents a dip in his support). Several members of Congress and other allied parties have backed Tejashwi as the face of the CM candidate for the opposition alliance. However, there is some internal debate: the Congress party has publicly stated that Tejashwi is not necessarily the CM face for the entire INDIA bloc and that the decision should be collective.
Beyond those two, Prashant Kishor, a well-known strategist who has now launched his own political outfit called Jan Suraj, is also in the CM conversation. His entry complicates the traditional two-front battle and introduces a third option for voters disillusioned with both major blocs. His party may act as a vote-splitter or even a pivotal coalition partner, depending on how the election results pan out.
Given all this, a likely scenario is that Nitish Kumar will become the CM again if the NDA retains power. His alliance is pushing that narrative strongly. Conversely, if the opposition alliance (led by RJD and backed by other INDIA bloc parties) secures a majority, Tejashwi Yadav is the frontrunner to be pitched as CM, though not without internal negotiation. The role of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj party may be critical in tipping the balance if his party does well, it could force cross-bloc alliances or redefine who gets the top job.