The Gaya Town Assembly Election 2025 is gearing up for an intense triangular contest between Prem Kumar (BJP), Akhauri Onkar Nath (Congress), and Dhirendra Agarwal (Jan Suraaj Party). This constituency, one of Bihar’s most politically significant urban seats, will witness a keenly watched battle as voter sentiment, candidate image, and party strategy shape the outcome. For nearly three decades, Prem Kumar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has maintained an unbroken winning streak in Gaya Town, making it one of the party’s strongest bastions in Bihar.
Key candidates
The Gaya Town Assembly Constituency has long been a hotspot of political activity and intense electoral battles, with the upcoming 2025 election promising another closely watched contest. The key candidates in the fray are Prem Kumar (Bharatiya Janata Party), Akhauri Onkar Nath (Congress), and Dhirendra Agarwal (Jan Suraaj Party), each representing a distinct political vision and voter base. Over the decades, Gaya Town has evolved into a BJP stronghold, largely due to the formidable presence of Prem Kumar, who has been the sitting MLA since 1995. A seven-time consecutive winner — in 1995, 2000, both 2005 elections, 2010, 2015, and 2020 — Prem Kumar’s deep-rooted connection with the local electorate, consistent engagement with developmental issues, and stature as one of Bihar’s senior-most BJP leaders have cemented his dominance in the constituency. As new challengers emerge from the Congress and Jan Suraaj Party, the 2025 battle for Gaya Town will test whether his legacy and the BJP's organisational strength can continue to hold sway amid changing political dynamics and evolving voter sentiments.
Gaya Town Assembly Constituency
The Gaya Town Assembly constituency is one of the 243 seats in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, designated as constituency number 230. It is a general seat, not reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) or Scheduled Tribes (STs). Gaya city serves as the administrative headquarters of both the Gaya district and the Magadh division. Located around 116 kilometres south of Patna, the state capital, Gaya is Bihar’s second-largest city. Surrounded on three sides by small rocky hills and with the Phalgu River flowing along its eastern edge, the city holds immense cultural and geographical significance.
Economically, Gaya is the second-largest contributor to Bihar’s economy after Patna. While agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood, the city also boasts a flourishing small-scale industrial sector. Local industries produce incense sticks, traditional sweets, stone carvings, handloom and power-loom textiles, garments, plastic goods, and other products that sustain thousands of households. Falling under the Gaya Lok Sabha constituency, Gaya Town remains a strategically significant seat in both state and national politics.
Gaya Town Constituency Demographic Profile
According to data from the Election Commission of India, the Gaya Town constituency had a total of 2,69,781 registered voters during the 2020 Bihar Assembly Elections. Of these, 1,40,747 were male voters, 1,29,032 were female voters, and two voters identified as belonging to the third gender. Additionally, 1,698 postal votes were recorded in the constituency. The total number of service voters stood at 612, comprising 544 men and 68 women.
In the 2015 Bihar Assembly Elections, the constituency had 2,48,172 registered voters, including 1,31,056 men, 1,17,095 women, and 21 voters from the third gender. A total of 1,370 postal votes were cast during that election. The number of service voters in 2015 was 396, with 294 male and 102 female service personnel registered to vote.
What happened in the 2020 and 2015 Assembly Elections?
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly Elections, BJP candidate Prem Kumar once again retained the Gaya Town Assembly seat, securing a decisive victory with a margin of 11,898 votes (8.87%). Kumar garnered a total of 66,932 votes, commanding a vote share of 49.89%, reaffirming his long-standing influence in the constituency. His closest rival, Akhauri Onkar Nath of the Congress Party, managed to secure 55,034 votes (41.02%), putting up a strong fight but ultimately falling short. Interestingly, the NOTA (None of the Above) option stood third in the race, with 1,476 votes (1.1%), reflecting a small but notable segment of voters opting to reject all listed candidates.
In the 2015 Bihar Assembly Elections, BJP candidate Prem Kumar secured another strong victory in the Gaya Town Assembly constituency, polling 66,891 votes (51.82%) to maintain his dominance in the seat. His closest competitor, Priya Ranjan from the Congress (INC), received 44,102 votes (34.16%), while Independent candidate Raj Kumar Prasad alias Raju Baranwal finished third with 7,170 votes (5.55%). The results reflected the continued confidence of voters in Prem Kumar’s leadership and solidified Gaya Town’s position as a BJP stronghold in Bihar’s political landscape.
