Chicago – November 06, 2025
Polling opened Thursday in Bihar, India’s third most populous state, marking the first phase of elections that could reshape both state and national politics. More than 74 million registered voters—a number greater than the population of the United Kingdom—are eligible to cast ballots across 121 of the state’s 243 constituencies.
The election will decide who governs Bihar for the next five years, but its significance extends far beyond the state’s borders. With India’s economy slowing and political trust under strain, the vote is widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, 17 months after his return to power with a reduced majority.
At the center of the contest is Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s veteran Chief Minister, whose Janata Dal (United) party remains in alliance with Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Opposing him is Tejashwi Yadav, the young leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), who has emerged as the face of the Congress-led opposition bloc. Yadav, son of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, is contesting from the family stronghold of Raghopur.
The campaign has revolved around jobs, poverty, and gender inclusion. Bihar remains India’s poorest state, with one in three residents living below the poverty line. Both alliances have promised employment programs and incentives for women, who make up nearly half the electorate and whose participation in elections has steadily grown. The BJP recently distributed funds to millions of women entrepreneurs under a state employment scheme, while the opposition has promised a direct income allowance for women in low-income households.
But this election is not only about governance—it has also reopened debates over electoral fairness. In the run-up to the polls, the Election Commission removed 4.7 million names from Bihar’s voter rolls during a “Special Intensive Revision,” an exercise critics say disproportionately affected Muslims and marginalized communities. The opposition accused the BJP of using the revision to suppress dissenting votes, especially in regions like Seemanchal, which has a high minority population.
The Election Commission has denied any political bias, but the controversy has added tension to an already polarized environment. The state’s literacy rate and low levels of document ownership have also made the verification process especially challenging, raising concerns about voter exclusion among the poor.
For Modi and his allies, a victory in Bihar would signal continued strength ahead of upcoming state polls and solidify their fragile coalition at the federal level. For the opposition, it represents a chance to reclaim one of India’s most politically influential states and test the credibility of the electoral system itself.
The second phase of voting will take place next Tuesday across the remaining 122 constituencies. Results are expected to be announced on November 14, concluding a high-stakes election that could determine not just Bihar’s leadership—but the direction of Indian democracy in the months ahead.
