With just 19 days left before the first phase of voting, confusion still prevails in the Mahagathbandhan. While October 20 marks the last date for withdrawal of nominations, the alliance has not yet issued a joint seat-sharing statement.
So far, the Congress has announced 53 candidates — 48 in its first list and 5 more in the second list released on Saturday. The RJD, on Sunday, published its first official list of 52 candidates, all of whom have filed nominations. In Raghopur, Tejashwi Yadav will take on BJP’s Satish Yadav, who had defeated Rabri Devi from this seat in 2010. The RJD list features 22 Yadavs, three Muslims, and three Brahmin-Bhumihar candidates.
Meanwhile, the NDA has finalized its seat-sharing arrangement and fielded candidates across all constituencies. However, there remains ambiguity over its Chief Ministerial face. Union Minister Chirag Paswan stated, “Ours is a five-party alliance — the elected MLAs will choose their leader after the results.”
Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had affirmed that Nitish Kumar enjoys “complete trust of the BJP as well as the people of Bihar.” He reiterated that the legislative party will decide the Chief Minister post after an NDA victory.
Other Updates (October 19, 2025)
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Former JD(U) leader Sanjeev Shyam Singh joined Jan Suraj, saying the JD(U) had lost its connect with workers and was now “controlled by a few elements.”
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BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi mocked the Grand Alliance’s internal conflict, calling it a “maha uthapatak” that could never “show Bihar a positive direction.”
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Pappu Yadav urged Congress to give tickets to “honest, grassroots candidates” instead of “strongmen and mafias.”
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Usha Devi, a hopeful from Barachatti (Gaya), wept outside Rabri Devi’s residence, alleging she was denied the ticket despite Lalu Yadav’s 2020 promise.
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AIMIM released a list of 25 candidates, vowing to represent Bihar’s “most oppressed voices.”
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PM Modi will launch his Bihar campaign on October 24 from Samastipur, with further rallies on October 30, and November 2, 3, 6, and 7.
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Union Minister Giriraj Singh stirred controversy, saying the BJP does not seek votes from “Namak Harams,” a remark seen as targeting Muslims.
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Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal slammed the Grand Alliance, accusing it of selling tickets and being in “complete disarray.”
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Internal rebellion erupted in Congress, with senior leaders alleging ticket sales and corruption by the state leadership. They accused state in-charge Krishna Allavaru, president Rajesh Ram, and legislative leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan of sidelining loyal workers.
Despite mounting controversies, leaders across parties continue to file nominations, hold rallies, and shape their final campaign strategies as Bihar moves closer to a high-stakes election.
