Ahead of the Bihar elections, a gathering of political leaders is taking place in Patna as India TV brings its Chunav Manch 2025. The first guest on the platform was Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal, who spoke on NDA's poll prospects, strategy and who will lead the Bihar government as the chief minister if the alliance comes to power.
Prashant Kishor at India TV Chunav Manch
"Our priority is to cover all the constituencies during election campaigning," said Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor at India TV Chunav Manch event on Friday (October 17).
Ravi Kishan predicts NDA's landslide victory
At India TV’s Chunav Manch, Bhojpuri actor and BJP MP Ravi Kishan predicted a landslide victory for the NDA in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, emphasising unity within the alliance. Praising PM Modi as "avatrit" and CM Nitish Kumar as a selfless leader, he credited them for Bihar's progress, citing improvements in law and order, education, and job creation.Ravi Kishan also highlighted Bihar's cultural legacy, calling it the land of Sita and Nalanda University. On secularism, he reaffirmed that India is a secular nation and said being a proud Hindu doesn't equate to opposing other religions. He accused the opposition of stoking religious divides and stressed the importance of teaching traditional values to the next generation.
Sanjay Jha on the rift in NDA
Janata Dal United (JD-U)’s working president Sanjay Jha on Friday reaffirmed that there is no rift in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. He also confirmed that Chief Kumar Nitish Kumar is not at all upset over the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
Why did Samrat Chaudhary file nomination from Tarapur?
Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary on Friday addressed India TV Chunav Manch and said why he filed nomination from Tarapur as it is his birthplace and this place has given birth to politician in him.
Nitish Kumar was, is and will be Bihar CM: Rajiv Pratap Rudy
BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Chunav Manch said, "Nitish Kumar will be the face of Chief Minister of Bihar".
Will NDA retain power or will Mahagathbandhan spring a surprise?
Ajay Alok (BJP), Rajeev Ranjan (JDU), Mrityunjay Tiwary (RJD), and Devjyoti (VIP) are addressing the India TV Chunav Manch and debating who will win the Bihar Assembly election this time.
'People's love and blessings are with the NDA': Shambhavi Chaudhary
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Chaudhary on Friday said that the love and blessings of the people are with the NDA. Speaking at the India TV's Chunav Manch, she expressed her deep connection with Bihar, and said, "I have the same bond with Bihar as I have with my mother. I want to dedicate all my energy to the development of Bihar. With the blessings of the people, even the toughest challenges become easier."
Panel debates on who will form govt in Bihar
Zafar Islam, Spokesperson of the BJP, Dr Anupriya, Spokesperson of the JDU, Priyanka Bharti, Spokesperson of the RJD and Vivek Kumar, Spokesperson of the Jansuraj are addressing the India TV Chunav Manch and are debateing on who will win the Bihar Assembly election this time.
Ravi Shankar Prasad
Speaking at India TV’s Chunav Manch, senior BJP leader and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad reflected on the rich political and intellectual history of Bihar. He invoked inspiring figures such as Karpoori Thakur, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, and Kunwar Singh, emphasising that “the range of politics in Bihar is wide, and people need to understand the state deeply.”
Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal
Jaiswal cleared the air over the NDA's chief ministerial face after Amit Shah said that the Bihar elections will be contested under Nitish Kumar's leadership, but the chief minister will be decided after the results. Jaiswal echoed the home minister, adding the alliance will continue to work under Nitish Kumar's leadership.
He added that it is an achievement for the NDA that there is no anti-incumbency against it in Bihar for the past 20 years. He also criticised the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, saying the opposition has no issues to raise as development is continously taking place in Bihar.
Manoj Tiwari
Manoj Tiwari, another Bihari face of the party, took the stage next to delve into the chief ministerial face of their alliance. He said it is only the Legislative Party that elects the chief minister, and this decision lies with the MLAs. He also took on the Opposition's Mahagathbandhan, claiming the alliance wants to eradicate Sanatan Dharma from the country.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) are contesting on 101 seats each as part of the NDA's seat-sharing deal. The 243-member Bihar assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the counting of votes will be held on November 14.
Watch India TV Chunav Manch LIVE
Deadline for nominations in Bihar today
Bihar’s elections are being held in two phases, with the first phase scheduled for November 6 and the second for November 11. The NDA has fielded candidates for all seats, while the Mahagathbandhan has yet to finalise seat-sharing arrangements. Friday, October 17 is the last day for filing nominations for the first phase.
The BJP-JDU alliance is contesting 101 seats each, while Chirag Paswan’s party is contesting 29 seats. Parties led by Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha are contesting six seats each. Within the Mahagathbandhan, it is still unclear how many seats Congress and RJD will contest.
