Bihar’s 2020 CSDS post-poll survey reveals deep caste alignments: Yadavs are with the RJD, while upper castes favour the NDA
About The Author
Md Asghar Khan is a Senior Correspondent from Jharkhand writing about politics, human rights, tribal issues, women issues, and the environment. He is available at asghar@outlookindia.com
With Chirag Paswan’s growing prominence and the JD(U)’s diminishing stature, the BJP seems to be preparing for a change of leadership in Bihar
Disunity within the INDIA Bloc is leading voters in Bihar to doubt Tejashwi's chances for Chief Minister, raising concerns about loyal voter loss.
Caste politics has shaped the National Democratic Alliance’s ticket distribution in the Bihar Assembly elections 2025.
Both BJP and JDU — the two main NDA partners — are contesting 101 seats each and have selected just 13 women each (12.9 per cent per party).
Kishor justified his decision by saying that contesting the polls would cost him three to four crucial days, during which he would be unable to campaign for Jan Suraaj’s candidates. Therefore, the party decided that he would not contest the election.
The coming weeks will test whether Kishor’s experiment can translate early momentum into meaningful electoral gains.
Nitish attracted upper-caste votes through his alliance with the BJP and later solidified EBC loyalty through Panchayati Raj reservations. Analysts often summarize Nitish’s approach thus: he split both Dalits and OBCs—making Lalu the leader of Yadavs and Muslims, and Paswan the leader of Paswans alone.
The RSS and its affiliates have built deep networks in Jharkhand’s tribal belt, but they have been facing a strong assertion of distinct Adivasi identity—rooted in Sarna faith, history and political legacy—limiting their Hindutva reach.
Bihar’s Muslims, nearly 18 percent of the population, feel sidelined as secular parties overlook them for tickets, especially in regions like Magadh, fueling resentment and demands for fair representation.
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