Great Bihar election puzzle: Too many voices, too little clarity

Kolkata: The Bihar Assembly election of 2025 has transformed into a veritable carnival of political spectacle, with heavyweight leaders from both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan—now rechristened as the INDIA Alliance—jostling for space on the campaign trail. The air is thick with slogans, promises, and accusations, as each front endeavours to stamp its identity into the heart of Bihar’s electorate.

The Parade of Star Campaigners

Never before has Bihar witnessed such a dazzling constellation of star campaigners.

The NDA’s phalanx includes the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda, and a retinue of chief ministers from neighbouring states — Yogi Adityanath, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Devendra Fadnavis, among others.

Even Bhojpuri film stars like Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan have been pressed into service, lending the proceedings a Bollywood flavour.

The Mahagathbandhan counters with RJD’s fiery Tejashwi Yadav, Congress stalwarts Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and a brigade of influential local and national leaders who bring their own gravitas and rhetoric to the fore.

Rallies crisscross the state; campaign chariots roll from Muzaffarpur to Madhepura, while star speakers volley their schemes and promises in every heartland.

The Voter in the Crossfire

But amid this torrent of high-decibel campaigning, the average voter finds themselves adrift in a sea of competing promises and headline-grabbing personalities.

The sheer number of leaders making appeals, announcing new schemes, and countering each other’s narratives has created a fog of confusion that threatens to muddy the true issues at stake.

With each front launching last-minute welfare schemes and development sops, the electorate is caught in a game of escalation, unsure of whose voice carries real intent and who is pandering for votes.

The Polarization of Agendas

The incumbent NDA government, with Nitish Kumar at its helm, focuses heavily on communal harmony and touts its achievements in restoring law and order, development, and “Jungle Raj” eradication.

Their messaging leans on contrasting eras—projecting themselves as the guardians of peace and progress against the spectre of past lawlessness.

The opposition, led by the Mahagathbandhan INDIA Alliance, is far more attuned to ground-level crises: the SIR (Social Inclusion Rate), endemic unemployment, and the alarming lack of safety and security for women—issues that have haunted Bihar for decades.

Tejashwi Yadav’s camp taps into youthful angst, pledging jobs and migration reform, while Congress leaders hammer home the failures of liquor prohibition and the need for social equity.

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The Looming Outcome

The flood of campaign promises from both the NDA and the INDIA Alliance underscores the high stakes of the Bihar election and may ultimately sway voter sentiment in unpredictable ways.

While the incumbent government's communal narrative seeks to solidify a loyal base through identity politics, the opposition’s focus on pressing socio-economic issues like unemployment and women’s safety connects deeply with voters facing everyday hardships.

However, history and political science research show that voters tend to weigh not only the promises made but also the credibility of those promises based on past performance and perceived sincerity.

This complex interplay means the election outcome will likely hinge on which front the electorate trusts more to fulfill their pledges amid the noise of star-studded campaigns, making Bihar’s verdict a decisive reflection of both aspiration and accountability.