As Bihar braces for its pivotal assembly elections on November 6 and 11, 2025, the state finds itself embroiled in a storm of political controversy, violence, and internal strife. The run-up to the polls, which will decide the fate of the 243-member Bihar assembly, has been anything but ordinary. From shocking allegations of candidate intimidation to daylight killings and high-profile resignations, the political landscape in Bihar is more volatile than ever.
On October 21, 2025, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor ignited a fierce debate by accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of systematically poaching opposition leaders and pressuring his party’s candidates to withdraw their nominations. Speaking to reporters, Kishor alleged, "We have seen a pattern in this country where, after elections, opposition MLAs are often poached, something the BJP has done multiple times across various states. Now, the same is happening in Bihar. There is no true alliance or democracy in play in Bihar right now. Jansuraaj's candidates are being systematically obstructed. Several of our candidates were stopped from even filing their nominations. So far, three of our candidates have been forced to withdraw their nominations under pressure."
Kishor’s remarks sent ripples through the state’s political circles. BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy responded with visible shock, questioning Kishor’s authority to comment on Bihar’s politics without ever having contested an election himself. "I am very shocked because people from outside always say that a big leader has emerged... To understand Bihar, he should have contested elections at least once and then commented on Bihar," Rudy told the media, as reported by ANI. Rudy also highlighted the "contradictions" in the Mahagathbandhan’s (Grand Alliance) campaign, emphasizing the weight the NDA holds in the ongoing debate over leadership between figures such as Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi versus Lalu Yadav and Rahul Gandhi. "There are several contradictions there. Bihar is heading towards a serious debate - whether we should choose Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi or Lalu Yadav and Rahul Gandhi. I think NDA has weightage in this debate. INDIA is demoralised," Rudy added.
The charged atmosphere has not been limited to verbal spats. In a chilling incident that has left the Gayaji district reeling, 19-year-old Subhash Paswan was gunned down in broad daylight outside his home on October 21. The murder, captured on CCTV and now widely circulated on social media, involved five assailants—one identified as Bunty Kumar, who remains at large. Police suspect the killing is rooted in a long-standing local feud, but the victim’s father, Upendra Paswan, who serves as the district vice-president of the BJP SC/ST cell, alleges a more sinister motive: political rivalry. Upendra claims the murder was orchestrated on the orders of Mayor Ganesh Paswan as part of an ongoing election-related dispute. The police have ramped up security in the area, but the suspects continue to evade arrest, further heightening tensions as the election draws near.
Meanwhile, the state’s opposition alliance, the INDIA bloc, has faced its own share of setbacks and allegations of repression. On October 20, 2025, Satendra Sah, the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) candidate for the Sasaram seat, was arrested immediately after filing his nomination papers. According to police, Sah was apprehended on a non-bailable warrant issued in 2018 relating to a 2004 bank robbery case in Jharkhand. Sunil Tiwari, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district, stated, "A permanent warrant was issued against Satendra Sah in that case in 2018. Police records indicate that more than 20 cases related to robbery, dacoity, and violations of the Arms Act are pending against him in various police stations."
Sah’s arrest was the third such incident involving candidates from the INDIA bloc in this election cycle. Earlier, CPI(ML) Liberation candidates Jitendra Paswan and Satyadeo Ram were also taken into custody immediately after filing their nomination papers. The CPI(ML) Liberation party issued a scathing statement condemning the arrests, calling them "politically motivated" and accusing the BJP-JD(U) alliance of using police and administrative machinery to silence opposition. "We strongly condemn the politically motivated arrests of Comrade Jitendra Paswan and Comrade Satyadeo Ram... They were arrested right outside the nomination centres immediately after filing their papers. These arrests, under fabricated and baseless charges, clearly reveal the fear and panic among the NDA leaders, who feel threatened by the rising assertion of the masses and the people's determination to bring change in Bihar," the party said. They further alleged, "Unable to confront the growing anger against its failed 'double-engine' government, the BJP-JD(U) alliance is resorting to repression, intimidation, and misuse of police and administrative machinery to silence democratic opposition and suppress people's voices."
The INDIA bloc’s troubles don’t end with arrests. Internal discord has also surfaced, most notably with the resignation of Bachchu Prasad Biru, the Saran District Congress Committee president, on October 21. Biru, who also gave up his primary membership in the party, cited discrimination and neglect within the alliance as his reasons. "I joined the party because of Rahul Gandhi, but after years of efforts and hard work in Saran district, we did not get a single seat here; therefore, I decided to leave. Congress here is being controlled by the RJD," he was quoted as saying after his resignation. Biru lamented that Congress was not allotted any tickets in all ten assembly constituencies of Saran district—an issue he said also occurred in the 2020 elections—and accused the alliance of ignoring Dalits, minorities, and backward classes.
The last date for filing nomination papers for the second and final phase of the Bihar assembly polls was October 20, 2025. As the campaign period draws to a close, the state’s political climate continues to be marked by allegations, arrests, violence, and deepening rifts within alliances. While the NDA projects itself as a stable force, its opponents accuse it of undermining democracy through intimidation and administrative overreach. On the other side, the INDIA bloc’s internal fractures and claims of marginalization threaten to sap its momentum just as the electorate prepares to cast its vote.
With the polls set for November 6 and 11 and results to be declared on November 14, Bihar stands at a crossroads. The outcome will not only determine the state’s next government but will also serve as a barometer for the health of its democracy amid a climate of fear, suspicion, and shifting allegiances.
