Yadav scions Tejashwi and Tej Pratap seek re-election as 121 of the 243 seats were in the poll fray in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on Thursday (November 6, 2025). Apart from the Yadavs, BJP’s candidates — folk singer Maithili Thakur (Alinagar), Mangal Pandey (Siwan), JD(U)’s Anant Kumar Singh (Mokama) and JSP’s Krishna Chandra Sinha (Kumhrar) — also faced a tough fight in their respective seats. The results of the two-phase election will be announced on November 14.
The Mahagathbandhan’s (Congress-RJD-Left coalition) efforts to unseat Nitish Kumar from power has been complicated by the entry of the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) and the Grand Democratic Alliance, comprising All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Azad Samaj Party and Apni Janata Party. While JSP does not has a specific voter bloc, the AIMIM-led coalition has sizable support among Muslims, Dalits and Extremely Backwards Castes (EBC), a key Mahagathbandhan voter base.
Here’s a look at the key fights in phase 1:
Raghopur: Tejashwi Yadav Vs Satish Kumar
RJD’s acting chief Tejashwi Yadav is seeking a third term from Raghopur – a seat previously held by both his parents Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi. His prime opponent is Satish Kumar Yadav – who is contesting on a BJP ticket this time. Mr. Satish emerged as a giant slayer in 2010 when he defeated Rabri Devi by a narrow margin of 13,006 votes. Since the, he has consistently lost to Mr. Tejashwi in 2015, 2020.
Apart from Mr. Satish, the RJD scion is challenged by JSP’s Chanchal Singh and Prem Kumar – a candidate fielded by his brother’s new faction Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD). With its sizable Yadav popular, RJD has held on to this seat since 1998 (except 2010-2015). With LJP and JD(U) candidates not in the poll fray this year, Mr. Tejashwi is primed to retain the seat.
Siwan: Mangal Pandey Vs Awadh Bihari Choudhary
Incumbent RJD MLA Awadh Bihari Choudhary faced BJP’s Mangal Pandey, who currently holds the health ministry portfolio. Mr. Pandey, who has been an MLC since 2012 is making his poll debut while Mr. Choudhary has won this seat six times (1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2020). A veteran RJD member since its inception, Mr. Choudhary was defeated twice by BJP’s Vyas Deo Prasad in 2005 and 2010 and was Bihar Assembly’s Speaker for 22 months when Nitish Kumar jumped ship from NDA to Mahagathbandhan in 2022.
Apart from Mr. Pandey and Mr. Choudhary, AIMIM fielded Kafi Samshir and JSP chose Intekhab Ahmad for this Muslim-dominated constituency. The Lok Sabha’s Siwan seat is currently held by JD(U)’s Vijay Lakshmi Kushwaha.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP candidate and playback singer Maithili Thakur during a public rally for the Bihar Assembly elections, at Alinagar in Darbhanga, on October 29, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
Alinagar: Maithili Thakur Vs Binod Mishra
Making her poll debut, 25-year-old Bihari folk singer Maithili Thakur, who joined the BJP in October, faced RJD heavyweight Binod Mishra for Alinagar. Falling under Darbhanga area, has a sizable Muslim population and has been held by the Mahagathbandhan since 2008 with RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui winning it twice (2010 and 2015) and VIP’s Mishri Lal Yadav winning it in 2020. As BJP fielded Ms. Thakur for this seat, Mr. Yadav – who had jumped ship to the NDA in 2022, resigned from BJP.
In her campaign, Ms. Thakur has promised to rename Alinagar as Sitanagar – an ode to Goddess Sita whose birthplace in Mithila. JSP’s Biplaw Kumar Chowdhary and AAP’s Rajipal Jha are also in the fray.
Mahua: Tej Pratap Yadav Vs Mukesh Kumar Raushan
A clash for the RJD bastion was witnessed as Lalu Yadav’s estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav faces incumbent MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan. Mr. Tej Pratap, who was expelled from ‘party and family for irresponsible behaviour’ launched his own outfit JJD in October. The RJD scion won this seat in 2015 before switching to Hasanpur in 2020. NDA has fielded LJP’s Sanjay Kumar Singh for this seat.
Mokama: Anant Kumar Singh Vs Veena Devi
This seat gained spotlight in the past few weeks after JD(U)’s gangster-turned-politician candidate Anant Kumar Singh was arrested for murder of JSP supporter Dular Chand Yadav. Mr. Singh who has held this seat since 2005 for the RJD, defeated JDU veteran Rajeev Lochan Narayan Singh in 2020. In 2022, he was disqualified as an MLA after he was convicted in a case for illegal possession of weapons. His wife, Nilam Devi won the seat for RJD in the subsequent bypolls.
As he switched back to JD(U) in 2024, Mr. Singh was fielded against RJD’s Veena Devi – wife of gangster Suraj Bhan Singh and JSP’s Priyadarshi Piyush.
Wooing voters, both coalitions – National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Mahagathbandhan have promised government jobs, free power, ration, education, hiked stipends to farmers, workers, fishermen and large infrastructure projects. The main difference in promises is NDA’s vow to make a ‘flood-free Bihar’, while Mahagathbandhan has hinted at lifting prohibition in the state.
Published – November 06, 2025 10:20 pm IST
