Bihar Election 2025: 5 Key Battlegrounds in Phase I with Family Rivalries, Political Dramas

The challenger, Tejashwi Yadav, and the incumbent, Nitish Kumar, face off in a crucial electoral battle.

The first phase of Bihar's 2025 Assembly election commenced today with voters across 121 constituencies deciding between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU-BJP alliance and the opposition Mahagathbandhan led by RJD's Tejashwi Yadav.

The ruling coalition comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal United, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha, and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtiya Lok Morcha.

The opposition alliance features Lalu Yadav's RJD at its core, supported by Congress and three Left parties including the Communist Party of India, alongside Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party, the Indian Inclusive Party, and Janshakti Janata Dal.

In this phase, the RJD has fielded the most candidates (72), followed by JDU (57), BJP (48), and Congress (24). The alliance dynamics have created unusual "friendly contests" in 11 constituencies, including Vaishali where RJD and Congress candidates compete against each other, and Bihar Sharif featuring CPI versus Congress.

Among the high-profile contests, Raghopur stands out as the most significant battleground. This RJD stronghold, which previously elected both Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi multiple times, now sees Tejashwi Yadav seeking his third consecutive term. He faces BJP's Satish Kumar Yadav, who previously defeated Rabri Devi in 2010, and Chanchal Kumar from Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party.

The stakes for Tejashwi Yadav are enormous, as the Congress reluctantly accepted him as the alliance leader and presumptive Chief Minister should the Mahagathbandhan win. A defeat would significantly undermine his leadership credentials.

Tarapur presents another fascinating contest, with BJP's state unit president Samrat Choudhary competing in this Kushwaha community-dominated region. He faces RJD's Arun Shah, Sukhdev Yadav from Tej Pratap Yadav's breakaway Janata Janshakti Dal, and Dr. Santosh Singh from Jan Suraaj.

Notably, Tarapur has been a JDU stronghold since 2010. A loss by Samrat Choudhary would not only diminish his political capital but could strain the JDU-BJP relationship, especially if the alliance suffers an overall defeat.

Mahua represents a critical test of Tejashwi Yadav's leadership and influence over Bihar's politically powerful Yadav community. This traditional RJD stronghold witnesses an extraordinary three-way contest within the Yadav clan, headlined by Tej Pratap Yadav competing against Mukesh Kumar Raushan from his father's party.

Though Tej Pratap won Mahua decisively in 2015, he did so with RJD backing. His performance as an independent candidate will be telling, especially with the vote likely splitting between him and the official RJD candidate. The Lok Janshakti Party's Sanjay Singh, also from the Yadav community, further complicates the electoral math.

The Mokama constituency offers exceptional drama, where JDU's controversial strongman Anant Singh seeks re-election. Having won the seat five consecutive times between 2005 and 2020 under various party banners, Singh will campaign from prison following his arrest for the murder of rival gangster Dular Chand Yadav.

After Singh was disqualified in 2022, his wife Neelam Devi maintained the family's hold on the seat. Now, with Singh back in the JDU fold, he faces RJD's Veena Devi in a contest that will reveal whether his previous electoral success stemmed from personal influence or party support.

Alinagar features a non-traditional BJP candidate in folk singer Maithili Thakur, as the party attempts to secure its first victory in this relatively new constituency created in 2008. The 29-year-old social media sensation, previously praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, represents BJP's strategy to appeal to younger voters.

The seat is currently held by Mukesh Sahani's VIP party, which needs to consolidate its previous gains to justify Sahani's nomination as the prospective Deputy Chief Minister. His influence within the Mallah community will be tested as Thakur competes against RJD's Binod Mishra, who narrowly lost in 2020.

Other notable contests include Arrah, where the BJP has fielded Sanjay "Tiger" Singh to reclaim its former stronghold, and Lakhisarai, where Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha faces Jan Suraaj's Suraj Kumar.

In the 2020 election, the Mahagathbandhan claimed 63 of the 121 seats in the first phase, while the BJP-JDU alliance secured only 55. A similar performance would significantly boost the opposition's chances of unseating the current government, though the ruling coalition remains competitive despite previous setbacks.