Bihar Election 2025: NDA finalizes all candidates and announces star campaigners as Congress and Mahagathbandhan struggle with seat-sharing. Tej Pratap files from Mahua, EC defends voter roll, and Yogi Adityanath targets RJD-Congress over burqa voter row.
By Qalam Times News Network | Patna | October 17, 2025
Bihar Election 2025 is heating up as the state prepares for its two-phase assembly polls on November 6 and 11. Thursday witnessed a political whirlwind — the Election Commission defended its voter roll revision before the Supreme Court, the NDA wrapped up its candidate selection and announced its star campaigners, while the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) continued to wrestle with unresolved seat-sharing negotiations. Adding to the drama, Tej Pratap Yadav filed his nomination amid ongoing family tensions, and Yogi Adityanath launched sharp attacks on the opposition over the burqa voter verification controversy.
NDA Completes List, Announces Star Campaigners
The Bihar Election 2025 campaign gained momentum as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) finalized its list for all 243 Assembly seats. Both JD(U) and BJP declared 101 candidates each, while allies like Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), and Hindustani Awami Morcha (HAM) released their respective lists.
JD(U)’s second and final list featured prominent ministers including Sheila Mandal, Vijendra Prasad Yadav, Leshi Singh, Jayant Raj, and Zama Khan. The BJP, meanwhile, announced a 40-member team of star campaigners led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and JP Nadda, joined by chief ministers Yogi Adityanath, Hemanta Biswa Sarma, Mohan Yadav, and Devendra Fadnavis, along with Bhojpuri film stars Pawan Singh, Manoj Tiwari, and Ravi Kishan.
Polling for the Bihar Election 2025 will take place in two phases — November 6 and 11 — with counting scheduled for November 14.
Congress Unveils First List, MGB Still in Limbo
The Congress Party released its first list of 48 candidates but is still struggling to finalize the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) seat-sharing arrangement. State Congress chief Rajesh Ram will contest from Kutumba, while Shakeel Ahmad Khan will run from Kadwa.
RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav filed his nomination from Raghopur, though the alliance’s seat formula remains undisclosed. Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar confirmed that talks were progressing positively, emphasizing, “People believe in Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership.”
Kanhaiya accused the Nitish Kumar government of “two decades of failure” and highlighted a CAG report showing ₹73,000 crore in unutilized funds, citing corruption in bridge thefts and exam leaks. Though not contesting, he said he would campaign across all 243 constituencies.
Tej Pratap Yadav’s Solo Move from Mahua
Breaking away from the RJD, Tej Pratap Yadav — now chief of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) — filed his nomination from Mahua with a roadshow carrying a photo of his grandmother. “With my family’s blessings, I’ll continue to work for Mahua’s people,” he said.
Once expelled from the RJD, Tej Pratap’s rift with his brother Tejashwi has deepened. His promise to create jobs and make Mahua a separate district sets the stage for a high-stakes contest against RJD’s Mukesh Kumar Raushan.
Election Commission Defends Voter List Before Supreme Court
The Election Commission, responding to a plea by the Association of Democratic Reforms and Yogendra Yadav, defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral roll. The poll body called allegations of Muslim voter exclusion “false and communal,” adding that 3.66 lakh names were deleted only due to duplication, migration, or death.
With 7.42 crore voters now on the rolls — a drop of 47 lakh — the EC maintained that “no appeal has been filed by any voter” since publication. The Supreme Court bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi will hear the case again on November 4.
Yogi Adityanath Targets RJD-Congress Over Burqa Voter Issue
Campaigning in Danapur, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the RJD-Congress alliance of “protecting fake voters” by opposing the verification of burqa-clad women voters. “They oppose electronic voting because they want to bring back booth capturing,” he charged.
Yogi linked Bihar’s politics to cultural revival, referencing the Ayodhya Ram Temple and saying that Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Goddess Sita, was next for development. “Under NDA rule,” he warned, “those tied to the mafia will meet their fate here too.”
