Patna – As the political temperature rises in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for November 6 and 11, 2025, the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] has stirred the pot by fielding candidates in five constituencies that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP(RV)], led by Chirag Paswan, had been eyeing. This move has intensified the undercurrents within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with the public display of unity seemingly masking internal dissatisfaction.
The JD(U) released its first list of 57 candidates for the upcoming elections on Wednesday. The list includes nominees for seats that were reportedly a point of contention between themselves and the LJP(RV). Vidya Sagar Nishad has been nominated from Morwa, Ratnesh Sada from Sonbarsa, Kaushal Kishore from Rajgir, Komal Singh from Gaighat, and Dhumal Singh from Ekma. These are the five key seats that both the JD(U) and the LJP(RV) were keen to contest.
Sources suggest that the JD(U) had earlier expressed its displeasure over the allocation of several of its stronghold seats to alliance partners. This recent move of fielding candidates in constituencies desired by the LJP(RV) indicates a growing strain within the NDA.
Meanwhile, the LJP(RV) also released its first list of 14 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections. The party has nominated Sanjay Paswan, its Bihar general secretary, from Bakhri(SC), and Seemant Mrinal, the president of its student wing, from Garkha(SC). Hulash Pandey, President of the LJP(RV) Parliamentary Board will contest from Brahmpur, while its Bihar state president Raju Tiwari will contest the Govindganj seat. Other candidates include Sunil Kumar (Paliganj), Babulal Shaurya (Parbatta), Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Dehri), Prakash Chandra (Obra) and Sanjay Kumar Singh (Simri Bakhtiyarpur).
The BJP released its second list of 12 candidates. The party has named Maithili Thakur from Alinagar, Ram Chandra Prasad from Hayaghat, Ranjan Kumar from Muzaffarpur, and Subhash Singh from Gopalganj, among others. Earlier, the BJP had released its first list of 71 candidates, including Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Sinha.
According to the seat-sharing formula within the NDA, the BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each. The LJP (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats, while the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest six seats each.
The NDA's seat-sharing arithmetic appears increasingly strained as the nomination deadline approaches. The JD(U)'s first list includes 23 sitting MLAs, including ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Shrawon Kumar, and Maheshwar Hazari. The list also includes four women.
The elections in Bihar are crucial for all political parties involved. The political landscape in Bihar has seen considerable change since the last assembly elections in October–November 2020. The NDA formed the government with Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister, but in August 2022, the JD(U) ended its alliance with the BJP. Nitish Kumar then resigned and joined the Mahagathbandhan alliance with RJD and Congress. However, in January 2024, the JD(U) returned to the NDA, and Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Chief Minister again.
With the election date drawing closer, the political atmosphere in Bihar is expected to heat up further. All eyes are on how the NDA allies will navigate these challenges and maintain unity in their pursuit to win the upcoming elections.
