Bihar Election 2025: Former Araria MP Sarfaraz Alam joins Jan Suraaj, welcomed by Prashant Kishor

Jyoti Singh, wife of Bhojpuri film star Pawan Singh, visited the Karakat Assembly constituency on Thursday, sparking speculation about her potential entry into the electoral race. According to sources, Jyoti Singh plans to hold direct interactions with the public on Friday (October 16) to understand their views and expectations. Following these discussions, she is expected to make a decision on whether she will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections as an independent candidate.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that while the BJP continues to recognise Nitish Kumar’s leadership, the decision on who will be the Chief Minister of Bihar will be made collectively by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the elections. Shah said, “Who am I to make someone a Chief Minister? There are several parties in the alliance; once the elections are over, we will sit together and decide on the CM.” He added that the NDA is currently contesting the assembly elections under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, reaffirming the alliance’s unity and respect among partner parties.

Former Araria MP Sarfaraz Alam has joined Jan Suraaj, marking a significant boost for the party’s influence in Bihar’s Seemanchal region. His induction was welcomed by Prashant Kishor, Uday Singh, and Manoj Bharti, who expressed confidence that Alam’s entry would strengthen the party’s base in the area. Party leaders said his experience and credibility will play a crucial role in expanding Jan Suraaj’s reach and organizational strength in the region ahead of the upcoming elections.

Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress leader and NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday hinted that a formal announcement on seat-sharing among the INDIA bloc partners would be made soon. He said that while the final decisions rest with senior party leadership, discussions are progressing in the right direction.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived here on a three-day visit to poll-bound Bihar on Thursday, during which he is likely to hold discussions on the BJP's organisation, meet leaders of alliance partners and address a few public meetings, a party leader said. Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal received Shah at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport here. The home minister is likely to meet organisational workers of the party later in the evening and is expected to address public meetings in Taraiya and Amnaur assembly seats on Friday, a BJP source said. Besides, he will address a meeting of intellectuals at Gyan Bhavan in Patna on Friday. During his three-day stay in Bihar, Shah is likely to be present in the processions before nomination filing by some BJP candidates, the party source said.

On joining the RJD, singer Khesari Lal Yadav said, "...I want that no one should go from our Bihar. People from Gujarat, Kolkata, and Delhi should come and work here. That's what we want." When asked whether he or his wife would contest the elections, he says, "Whether she contests or I contest, it's the same thing. She's my better half...".

Bihar Minister Hari Sahani said that just as people once attended Ramlila performances with devotion and joy, the same enthusiasm is now seen at National Democratic Alliance (NDA) events. He remarked that the public’s excitement reflects a sense of purity and faith similar to the traditional celebrations of Ramlila . Speaking further about former ally Mukesh Sahni, Sahani stated that there was a time when the NDA used to welcome his presence, but that phase is over now, adding that “the door for his return is closed.”

Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said, "JD(U) has announced its 101 seats. The nomination process is almost complete. As for the Mahagathbandhan, if the alliance breaks or not, we will see what circumstances shape up."

Home Minister Amit Shah will kick off the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) election campaign in Bihar on Friday, starting from Chapra. According to party sources, Shah is scheduled to address two key events during his visit. His first public meeting will take place in the Amanour Assembly constituency of Chapra, where he will deliver a major election speech. Later in the day, he will attend a “Buddhijeevi Sammelan” (Intellectuals’ Conference) in Patna and interact with members of the educated and professional community. In addition to the public programs, the Home Minister will also hold a series of important meetings with party workers and organizational leaders to review election strategies.

Rashtriya Lok Morcha released another list of two candidates on Thursday (October 16) for the Bihar Elections 2025. The names of candidates of Rashtriya Lok Morcha for four assembly constituencies for the Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2025 were announced on Wednesday (October 15).

On VIP chief Mukesh Sahani's demands on seat sharing (from Mahagathbandhan), State BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said, "The injustice being done to Mukesh Sahani is evident. The Mahagathbandhan is insulting him by committing injustice against them."

Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha has announced Rameshwar Mahto as its official candidate from the Bajpatti Assembly constituency. With this nomination, the party aims to strengthen its presence in the region and contribute significantly to the National Democratic Alliance’s overall campaign strategy for the Bihar Assembly Election 2025.

As the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 gains momentum, political parties are lining up their candidates and flood of nominations has begun. Among the notable candidates stepping into the fray is Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav and now the chief of the Jan Shakti Janata Dal. On Thursday, he officially filed his nomination papers from the Mahua Assembly constituency, marking his formal entry into the electoral contest.

As the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 heats up, nominations are being filed across the state. Among the most talked-about contenders is Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, who arrived at the Mahua sub-divisional office with thousands of supporters to file his nomination papers. Carrying a photograph of his grandmother in his hand, Tej Pratap Yadav officially entered the electoral battle from his old constituency, Mahua. Tej Pratap first won the Mahua seat in 2015, becoming an MLA for the first time. In 2020, he shifted to Hasanpur in Samastipur and emerged victorious again. This time, however, after being sidelined from both his family and party, he is contesting from Mahua under the banner of the Jan Shakti Janata Dal. The Mahua constituency has now become one of the most high-profile battlegrounds in Bihar. Currently held by RJD MLA Mukesh Roshan, the seat also features JDU rebel Asma Parveen and AIMIM’s candidate Bachcha Rai, known for his alleged involvement in the toppers scam. With multiple strong contende

RLM President Upendra Kushwaha posted on X and said, "All comrades of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha are directed that to ensure a 100 per cent victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on all 243 seats in the state, they must put in their utmost efforts. Leave no stone unturned."

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had initially nominated Chanda Devi, wife of Bhojpuri super star Khesari Lal Yadav, as its candidate from the Chhapra Assembly constituency. However, due to her name not appearing on the official voter list, the party revised its decision and handed the ticket directly to Khesari Lal Yadav himself. With this update, Khesari Lal Yadav is now confirmed as the RJD candidate contesting from the Chhapra seat in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025.

To resolve the deadlock over seat-sharing in Bihar, Kharge and Rahul Gandhi spoke with Lalu Prasad Yadav. At present, a meeting is also underway at Kharge’s residence. Rahul Gandhi and C Venugopal are also present at the meeting.

During a hearing on the Bihar SIR, the Election Commission stated that voters are aware and satisfied, but the ADR requires all data immediately for analytics.

No appeals have been received so far. The first-phase process will conclude on October 17, and the second phase will finish on October 20, after which the list will be published on the website.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan said that the list of names that have been removed should also be released. Justice Suryakant remarked that there is no doubt the Commission will fulfil its responsibility. He added that the information must be published and that the matter will not be closed, Bhushan.

A major meeting is being held at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence regarding the Bihar elections and the delay in the Mahagathbandhan's seat-sharing pact. The meeting was attended by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary C. Venugopal, and Screening Committee Chairman Ajay Maken.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the remaining roughly a dozen seats. The last day for filing first-phase nominations is tomorrow, after which Rahul Gandhi will make decisions on the remaining seats.

Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale said that if the Mahagathbandhan of RJD and Congress does not come to power in Bihar, the NDA will form the government, with Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister from the NDA.

He added, “Trump is a dashing man, and Narendra Modi is also a dashing man. When two dashing men come together, what will happen, nobody knows.”

Commenting on Rahul Gandhi’s statement, Athawale said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not afraid of anyone. Neither is he timid, nor are we. There is no truth in Rahul Gandhi’s remarks.”

"Now, no one can obstruct development in Bihar… no one can claim crime as their birthright. No one can dare to turn crime into their inheritance and run the business of kidnapping in Bihar," Yogi Adityanath said.

In the last 20 years, the NDA government changed Bihar, the UP chief minister said, adding the double-engine government is working hard to develop Bihar further. No one can now halt development in Bihar.

Yogi Adiyanath hailed Nitish Kumar's performance as Bihar Chief Minister, saying he has done execeptional work in the last 20 years.

"From 1990 to 2005, people witnessed the jungle raj in Bihar. They (RJD) turned Bihar to a land of dynastic politics and lawlessness. They spread lawlessness every where and the mafia received the then government's support. Because of this, the natives of the state left Bihar," he said while addressing a rally in Danapur.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is addressing his first campaign rally for the BJP in Bihar's Danapur.

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Mukesh Sahani has expressed displeasure over the Congress not yet revealing the names of the eight seats it allocated to the VIP from its share.

The RJD had set aside 10 seats for the VIP, in addition to four seats where RJD candidates were to contest on behalf of the party. He is scheduled to hold a press conference at 4 pm.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has arrived at the Patna airport.

Bihar Deputy CM and BJP candidate from Tarapur, Samrat Choudhary, "We are here to ensure the Lotus blooms. With the blessings of God, we want the blessings from the public to form the NDA government in Bihar...We are fighting as a team...These people (of Mahagathbandhan) could not find one person in Bihar who said that their vote was cut."

Bihar Deputy CM and BJP candidate from Tarapur, Samrat Choudhary, offers prayers at Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, ahead of filing his nomination for Bihar Legislative Assembly elections today.

So far, the NDA has declared 226 candidates for elections to the 243-member Bihar legislative assembly.

• BJP: 101/101 (13 women) 
• JDU: 101/101 (13 women) 
• LJP-RV: 14/29 (2 women) 
• HAM: 6/6 (2 women) 
• RLM: 4/6 (Only 1 woman) 

Total: 226/243 (31 women)

The NDA has finalised its candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The BJP has announced all its 101 candidates, including 13 women.

The JD(U) has declared 57 of its 101 candidates, with 4 women among them. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has announced 14 out of 29 candidates, including 2 women. HAM has fielded all 6 of its candidates, 2 of whom are women, while RLM has declared 4 of its 6 candidates, with only 1 woman.

In total, the NDA has announced 182 candidates out of 243 seats, including 22 women. 61 seats are still pending.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur today took a dig at the Opposition over the Bihar elections, saying the momentum NDA has gained in Bihar elections is clearly visible while on the other hand, there is conflict within the Mahagathbandhan.

"Slogans are also being raised against Lalu Prasad Yadav. Look at the NDA candidates; many young candidates have been given a chance so thathe t NDA government can be formed for the youth of Bihar. On the other hand, the people of Jungle Raj have given tickets to the sons of strongmen and goons... Is Lalu Prasad Yadav thinking of bringing back Jungle Raj in Bihar? The people of Bihar will never accept this. The people of Bihar want to connect with development," he said.

The RJD has so far given its symbol to 45 candidates, while the Congress has announced 23 candidates. In two seats, a friendly contest is emerging within the Mahagathbandhan. In Bachwara, Begusarai, the CPI has fielded Avadhesh Rai, while the Congress has nominated Garibdas.

Similarly, on the Matihani seat in Begusarai, the RJD and CPM are facing off. The RJD has given the ticket to former MLA Narendra Kumar Singh, also known as Bogo Singh, while the CPM has decided to field former MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh.

The RJD has given a ticket from Chhapra to Chanda, the wife of popular Bhojpuri singer and actor Khesari Lal Yadav.

Lalu Yadav has given the ticket for the Parsa seat in Saran to Karishma, the cousin of Tej Pratap Yadav’s estranged wife Aishwarya Rai. A dentist by profession, Karishma is the granddaughter of former Chief Minister Daroga Rai.

Meanwhile, the JD(U) denied a ticket to Aishwarya Rai’s father, Chandrika Rai, from Parsa and instead gave the symbol to Chotelal Rai, who recently joined JD(U) from the RJD. Chotelal Rai was the sitting RJD MLA from this seat and had defeated Chandrika Rai by 17,000 votes in the previous election.

Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: On seat sharing, Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary said Everything has been done and the alliance has also been announced and that 99.9 per cent of the issues have been resolved.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will campaign in Bihar for the assembly elections today. He is scheduled to address two public rallies in the state. The first rally will be held in the Danapur assembly constituency of Patna in support of BJP candidate Ram Kripal Yadav. The second rally will take place in the Saharsa assembly constituency, where the Chief Minister will seek votes for BJP candidate Dr Alok Ranjan.

During the Bihar elections, the Chief Minister is expected to hold more than 20 campaign rallies. Given his popularity, NDA candidates across the state are requesting more time for his rallies and public meetings in their constituencies.

Several prominent leaders from the BJP and JD(U), including Tej Pratap, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, will file their nominations. Senior leaders from different states will also be present on this occasion.

Tej Pratap Yadav, who formed his own party after being expelled from the RJD, will file his nomination from the Mahua assembly seat.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary will file his nomination from the Tarapur seat in Munger, while JD(U) minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary will do so from the Sarairanjan seat in Samastipur. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are also expected to attend the proceedings.

Surajbhan Singh has quit Pashupati Paras’s party and joined the RJD. He had met Tejashwi Yadav last night, and today his wife will file her nomination from Mokama at 12 noon.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released the complete list of candidates for all 101 seats allotted to it under the NDA seat-sharing arrangement for the Bihar Assembly elections 2025. The list includes many notable names like folk singer Maithili Thakur, who will contest from the Alinagar constituency, and former IPS Anand Mishra from Buxar. The list includes both Deputy Chief Ministers, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. Read more

Even though the Mahagathbandhan is yet to finalise the seat-sharing pact for the crucial assembly polls in Bihar, the Congress on Wednesday night announced the names of its candidates who would be contesting in the upcoming polls. Congress' Bihar unit made the announcement, while posting the pictures of the candidates receiving their nomination certificates.  

The development comes days before the filing nominations for the first phase of Bihar polls ends.