Historic First: Neither INDIA nor NDA Alliance Announces Chief Ministerial Candidate; Internal Rifts See 254 Candidates for 243 Seats with 12 Friendly Fights
PATNA | October 21, 2025:The nomination process for the second and final phase of Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Monday, revealing unprecedented turmoil within both major political alliances. For the first time in Bihar’s electoral history, neither the INDIA bloc nor the NDA coalition has declared a Chief Ministerial face, while seat-sharing disputes have resulted in candidates from the same alliance contesting against each other.
According to the Election Commission, 1,314 candidates are in the fray for the first phase elections. Over 300 nomination papers were rejected, while 61 candidates withdrew their nominations. Voting for 121 seats will occur on November 6, with the remaining 122 seats going to polls on November 11. The final candidate status for the second phase will be clarified by October 23.
INDIA Alliance Shows Cracks: RJD Releases List Hours Before Deadline
The INDIA coalition exhibited visible fractures until the final day of nominations, with disagreements over ticket distribution and internal rebellions coming to the fore. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) released its list of 143 candidates merely seven hours before the nomination deadline,an unprecedented last-minute announcement while candidates continued filing their papers.
The INDIA bloc has fielded 254 candidates for 243 seats due to complications with the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). The distribution stands as follows: RJD (143), Congress (61), CPI(M) (20), CPI (9), CPM (6), and Mukesh Sahni’s VIP (15). This arithmetic results in 12 constituencies where alliance partners are contesting against each other.
Unprecedented Scenario: No Joint Press Conference
This Bihar election marks a historic departure from tradition,neither the NDA nor INDIA alliance held joint press conferences regarding seat-sharing arrangements. All constituent parties continued releasing candidate lists until the final moments of the nomination period. The absence of declared Chief Ministerial candidates from both coalitions reflects the ongoing power struggles within each alliance.
Key Highlights:
RJD Dominance with Complications: RJD remains the largest player within the INDIA bloc, contesting the maximum number of seats. However, tensions with Congress and Left parties over seat allocation were evident throughout the process.
Congress’s Reduced Footprint: Congress, which contested 66 seats in the previous election but won only 19, has been restricted to 61 seats this time,a reflection of its diminished bargaining power within the alliance.
CPI(ML)’s Enhanced Position: The CPI(ML) delivered an impressive performance last time, winning 12 of 19 seats contested. Rewarded for this success, the party has been allocated 20 seats in the current election.
VIP’s Alliance Switch Creates Conflicts: The Vikassheel Insaan Party, which contested with NDA previously, has switched to the INDIA bloc. Of the 15 seats where VIP has announced candidates, two directly clash with RJD nominees—symbolizing the hasty and poorly coordinated alliance formation.
Electoral Mathematics:
- Total Assembly Seats: 243
- Phase 1 Voting: 121 seats (November 6)
- Phase 2 Voting: 122 seats (November 11)
- Total Candidates (Phase 1): 1,314
- Rejected Nominations: 300+
- Withdrawn Candidates: 61
- INDIA Bloc Candidates: 254 (for 243 seats)
- Friendly Contests: 12 constituencies
The chaotic candidate selection process and absence of CM faces suggest both alliances are grappling with internal power dynamics that remain unresolved. The last-minute nature of announcements, particularly RJD’s eleventh-hour list release, indicates significant behind-the-scenes negotiations that failed to reach consensus until legally mandated deadlines forced decisions.
Political analysts note that fielding candidates against alliance partners in 12 constituencies could prove costly, potentially splitting anti-incumbency or pro-incumbency votes depending on local dynamics. The VIP-RJD clashes are particularly significant, as they expose the fragility of the hastily assembled INDIA coalition in Bihar.
The Election Commission will oversee a two-phase polling process, with results expected to reveal whether these internal alliance tensions translate into electoral losses or whether party workers can overcome organizational chaos to deliver coordinated campaign efforts.
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