Bihar elections: PM Modi to launch NDA campaign with rallies in Samastipur, Begusarai on October 24

RJD candidate Dr Shamim Ahmad filed his nomination for the Narkatia Assembly constituency ahead of the Bihar elections, promising one government job per household if the party comes to power. He also pledged to set up factories to boost employment, noting that no such development had occurred in the last 20 years. Emphasising the public’s trust, he said this support would drive Bihar forward with justice and progress.

State BJP president Dilip Jaiswal confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch his Bihar Assembly election campaign on October 24. He is scheduled to address two major public rallies that day—first in Samastipur and then in Begusarai. Jaiswal added that a second round of campaigning is proposed for October 29, as part of the BJP’s broader election push across the state.

Commenting on the JMM's decision to contest six seats independently in the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress leader Tariq Anwar said that the party should have coordinated with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. He recalled that during the Jharkhand Assembly elections, RJD was allotted six seats by JMM with the understanding that a similar arrangement would be made in Bihar. Anwar suggested a communication gap may be the reason behind the current seat-sharing dispute.

JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya highlighted internal contradictions within both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, pointing out infighting across many seats. He expressed concerns over repeated betrayals, particularly of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha workers, and stated that the party plans to review its alliances in Bihar. Bhattacharya affirmed JMM’s determination to win the elections and insisted that the next Bihar government will not be formed without the consent of JMM.

JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya stated that the party has decided to contest six seats independently in the Bihar elections. He explained that JMM approached all Mahagathbandhan constituent parties—RJD, Congress, and especially RJD, the largest regional party—about their identified seats where their workers have long fought against the JDU-BJP alliance. Bhattacharya recalled that in Jharkhand’s 2019 elections, JMM supported RJD and Congress by giving them seats, but only one winning candidate from Chatra was made a minister for five years. Even after the 2024 elections, JMM allotted six seats to RJD and secured an important position for one of RJD’s winning candidates in the current cabinet. He confirmed that JMM will field candidates from Dhamdaha, Chakai, Katoria, Manihari, Jamui, and Pirpainti in Bihar.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary criticized the Mahagathbandhan over its handling of seat sharing ahead of the state elections, claiming the alliance is plagued by confusion and internal conflict. He pointed out that candidates from within the bloc are competing against each other, highlighting the lack of a clear and unified strategy.

CPI-ML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya criticized the NDA's candidate selection in Bihar, alleging that many are mafia-linked strongmen and wealthy figures. He claimed Bihar has suffered under 20 years of misrule and asserted that change is inevitable. Bhattacharya also pointed out that BJP and LJP have sidelined JDU in seat-sharing talks, while even within JDU, the party appears under pressure. Referring to Amit Shah’s recent remarks, he noted that the BJP has no intention of retaining Nitish Kumar as CM and that the much-discussed Rs 10,000 financial aid is actually a repayable loan, not a grant, which has now been increased.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra has created a favourable environment for the Mahagathbandhan, increasing winning prospects for both Congress and RJD, which has led to a seat-sharing mismatch due to strong candidates from both sides.

In a major political shift ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, VIP’s state spokesperson Rajesh Sahni, along with leaders Bittu Paswan and Rajesh Prajapati, joined the BJP with hundreds of their supporters. Welcoming them at the BJP state office, Bihar BJP President Dr. Dilip Jaiswal inducted them into the party, stating that the growing public disillusionment with the opposition is driving support toward the NDA. He emphasized that under NDA rule, Bihar has progressed significantly, replacing lanterns with LED lights in villages, and added that the BJP’s development-centric policies continue to attract people across the state.

(Inputs from Nitish Chandra)

In a major development from Saran’s Marhaura Assembly constituency, the nominations of four candidates have been rejected, including NDA-backed LJP (Ram Vilas) candidate Seema Singh. Others whose nominations were cancelled include former JDU district president Altaf Raju (who filed as an independent), BSP’s Aditya Kumar, and independent candidate Vishal Kumar. With their disqualification, the main contest is now set between RJD’s Jitendra Rai and Jan Suraaj’s Abhay Singh.

Addressing the ongoing seat-sharing tensions within the INDIA bloc, BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan criticized the alliance for allegedly sidelining Dalit leaders. Speaking in Patna, Paswan said, "It is highly unfortunate that Dalits, deprived and oppressed communities are being insulted there," citing incidents involving Congress state president Rajesh Ram and VIP chief Mukesh Sahani. He also pointed to Sharad Yadav’s son being denied a ticket, claiming these actions reflect a "feudal" mindset within the alliance. Paswan asserted that the Dalit community is viewing this seriously and won’t remain silent.

Speaking from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed strong confidence in the NDA's victory in the upcoming Bihar elections, asserting that good governance and development will triumph. Responding to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's remarks, Chouhan hit back sharply, saying, "No one has forgotten their 'jungle raj'. The scams they committed only benefited their family, but Bihar was ruined," highlighting the NDA’s narrative of contrasting leadership and progress.

Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) leader and NDA candidate from Madhubani, Madhaw Anand, has called his nomination a "historic day," expressing gratitude to the NDA's top leadership for their trust. Criticizing the local MLA's decade-long tenure, Anand claimed that poor governance, flawed policies, and a lack of integrity have kept Madhubani in a state of underdevelopment. Emphasizing the urgent need for redevelopment, he stated, “If there is change, there will be development,” signaling a promise of transformation for the region.

As the tussle over seat-sharing continues in Mahagathbandhan, the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) on Friday released its first list of six candidates for the Bihar assembly elections, fielding party chief Mukesh Sahani's brother Santosh Sahani from the Gaura Bauram seat. Read the full story here 

Congress leader Rashid Alvi emphasized that the 2025 Bihar elections will revolve around the BJP’s governance record over the past 15 years. He questioned the ruling party on key issues like youth employment, road conditions, inflation control, development, and law and order improvements. Alvi insisted that voters will judge the election based on these performance factors rather than the timing of ticket distributions by political alliances.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC has slammed the RJD for fielding Osama Shahab, son of late ex-MP and gangster Mohammad Shahabuddin, from Bihar’s Raghunathpur Assembly seat. “They claim they want to end jungle raj, yet give a ticket to the son of the biggest gangster. The people of Bihar know this ideology well,” she said. Shaina added that the RJD has historically used force to win elections, but this time the people will reject such politics. “Bihar wants development, not jungle raj or gangsters,” she asserted.

JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar has said that his party is committed to transparent elections and has requested the Election Commission to deploy paramilitary forces at every polling station. He asserted that JD(U) is contesting the polls on the strength of its work, while accusing the RJD of trying to push a political agenda through fear and intimidation. “But the public prefers peace,” he added.

Sabir Ali, a former MP and longtime BJP member for the past 11 years, has left the party and rejoined JD(U), the party he originally represented as a parliamentarian.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan, after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, emphasised their goal for a clean sweep in the upcoming elections. He said, “Our aim would be to have a 100% strike rate.” Paswan added that they discussed strategies to avoid false narratives and instead concentrate solely on promoting the development agenda.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, "NDA has respected all 5 of its allies and completed the negotiation. The nominations of all 243 candidates are clear. The names of all 243 candidates are clear. There is no confusion like the Mahagathbandhan... We have already started our campaign when the Mahagathbandhan is trying to cancel out each other's claims..."

Union Minister Chirag Paswan arrives at a hotel in Patna to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) chief Pashupati Kumar Paras announced that despite considerable efforts to join forces with the Mahagathbandhan, an alliance could not be formed. He stated, “We made significant efforts to form an alliance with the Mahagathbandhan, but the alliance did not materialise.” As a result, the RLJP has decided to contest the upcoming Bihar elections independently. Paras expressed confidence in the party’s prospects, adding, “I am hopeful that in the first phase of the elections, we will win a good number of seats.”

LJP(Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary says, "...Seeing the state of mahagathbandhan right now, I think we will easily cross 225 seats."  

"Mahagathbandhan seems to be stuck in a quagmire...This simply shows that a party that can't sort out issues within its own alliance, how it will raise Bihar's issues... So, there's no doubt that the NDA will form a strong government... The NDA is united, and when it comes to seat-sharing or any other alliance, the top leadership sits together and resolves any confusion. No, there was never any roadblock in the NDA. Everyone may have their own personal aspirations. We dealt with it in time, and today we stand before the opposition as a strong front for Bihar..."

PHASE 1:

Bhore – SC (103): Dhananjay

Ziradei (106): Amarjeet Kushwaha

Darauli – SC (107): Satyadeo Ram

Daraunda (109): Amarnath Yadav

Kalyanpur – SC (131): Ranjeet Kumar Ram

Warisnagar (132): Phoolbabu Singh

Rajgir – SC (173): Bishwanath Chaudhary

Digha (181): Divya Gautam

Phulwari – SC (188): Gopal Ravi Das

Paliganj (190): Sandeep Saurav

Arrah (194): Quyamuddin Ansari

Agiaon – SC (195): Shiv Prakash Ranjan

Tarari (196): Madan Singh

Dumraon (201): Ajit Kumar Singh

PHASE 2:

Sikta (09): Birendra Prasad Gupta

Pipra (42), Supaul: Anil Kumar

Balrampur (65): Mahboob Alam

Karakat (213): Arun Singh

Arwal (214): Mahanand Singh

Ghosi (217): Ram Bali Singh Yadav

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on a three-day visit to Bihar ahead of the assembly elections, launched a sharp attack on opposition leaders Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress’s Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Speaking in Patna, Shah questioned the feasibility of RJD’s ambitious promise to provide government jobs to a member of every household and mocked Rahul Gandhi’s “Voter Adhikar Yatra,” alleging it was aimed at protecting illegal immigrants.

Speaking at India TV’s Chunav Manch, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy weighed in on the evolving landscape of Bihar’s politics. He touched upon the influence of both established and emerging leaders, including Chirag Paswan, Upendra Kushwaha, and Jitan Ram Manjhi, while acknowledging the ongoing poster politics that tend to highlight caste-based affiliations in the state. Read full story here. 

an Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor is confident his party may win more than 150 seats, but at the same time, he put in a rider saying that if his party is swept off, it may win only 10 seats. Replying to questions at the India TV Chunav Manch daylong conclave here, Prashant Kishor, a former poll strategist, said, "This is not a range of 10 to 150, but you can call them two scenarios — Arsh (sky) par ya farsh (ground) par." Prashant Kishor said, "On November 14, when Bihar results will be declared, a new history will be written and Jan Suraaj Party will win more than 150 seats." Read the full story here. 

Bhojpuri superstar and BJP MP Ravi Kishan delivered a fiery and confident address at India TV’s Chunav Manch on Friday, predicting a landslide victory for the NDA in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Emphasising unity within the NDA, he declared that the alliance is “moving forward as a united front” and would secure a “massive majority” at the polls. “Is baar Bihar mein garda udne wala hai. NDA phir se bhari bahumat se jeetega,” said Ravi Kishan in his trademark energetic style. Read full story here.