NEW DELHI: As Bihar gears up for the assembly elections, the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Mahagathbandhan have cornered each other over issues such as development, migration, and unemployment. However, it all appears to have boiled down to the perennial theme of caste-based politics, with every party fine-tuning its manifesto and candidate list to gauge how various caste communities will vote and how best to retain their traditional voter bases.Swearing by Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur’s legacy of social justice, a caste survey was conducted in Bihar in 2023 to determine the exact population of each caste, aiming to bolster demands for expanded quotas.The survey found that the EBCs constitute the largest portion at 36 per cent, along with the other backward classes at 27 per cent, which amounts to 63 per cent of the total 13.07 crore population of the state; together, they constitute the socially hefty segment of backward classes. Meanwhile, the “upper caste” groups among Hindus account for only 10.6 per cent. However, the caste proportions seem unlikely to be reflected in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha after the results, as parties appear to be prioritising their traditional voter bases and other factors over population-based representation during the screening of candidates. In the upcoming assembly elections, parties have not only fielded candidates from dominant castes to strengthen their poll prospects but have also calibrated diverse caste combinations to counter caste hegemony across regions.
How different parties distributed tickets to different castes:
BJP
Under the seat-sharing deal between NDA partners, BJP was allotted 101 seats. Riding on the vote banks of the upper castes, BJP gave 49 tickets (48.5%) to upper-caste candidates. Meanwhile, 34 candidates (33.7%) from the OBC community were fielded, including 6 Yadavs, 15 Vaishyas, 7 Kushwahas, and 2 Kurmis.Only 10 EBC candidates (9.9%) and 12 SC candidates (11.9%) are in the poll fray with BJP’s symbol.Interestingly, BJP had fielded only 16 Yadavs in 2020 assembly elections. The choice of BJP’s replacements for some of its sitting Yadav MLAs points to its new gameplan: it has gone for a Kushwaha, the most populous OBC community after Yadavs; a Nishad, an increasingly assertive extremely backward classes group; and a Vaishya, the party’s traditional supporter, for the Patna Sahib, Aurai and Munger seats, respectively.
JD(U)
Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) has fielded the most candidates from the OBC, EBC, and SC communities.Nitish, who has positioned himself as the poster boy of non-Yadav OBCs and EBCs, has fielded 37 candidates from the OBC community (36.6%) and 22 candidates from the EBC community (21.8%).Additionally, 15 candidates from the SC community (14.9%) and 1 candidate from the ST community (1.0%) are in the poll fray. JD(U) has also distributed tickets to 22 (21.8%) candidates from the upper-caste community in the upcoming assembly elections. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which was allotted 29 seats under the seat-sharing, has fielded five candidates each from the Rajput and Yadav castes, and four each from Paswan and Bhumihar communities.Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan fielded one candidate each from Brahmin, Teli, Pasi, Sudhi, Rauniyar, Kanu, Rajwar, Dhobi, Kushwaha, Ravidas, and Muslim communities.
HAM(S)
Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha has fielded six candidates in the poll fray. Out of the six candidates, the party has fielded four of Manjhi’s relatives and two Bhumihar candidates.Meanwhile, Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) fielded one Bhumihar, one Rajput, three Kushwahas, and one Vaishya candidate. Catering to its traditional vote banks of Yadavs and Muslims, the Rashtriya Janata Dal has distributed tickets to 51 Yadavs out of 143 seats. The party has also fielded candidates from upper-caste and EBC communities. With Mahagathbandhan parties contesting a total of 255 seats, several constituencies are witnessing “friendly fights” among alliance partners.In total, the RJD has fielded 18 Kurmi-Kushwaha, 51 Yadavs, 8 Vaishyas, 14 upper castes, 33 EBCs, 19 SCs, and 18 Muslims in the upcoming elections. Contesting on 61 seats, the Congress has fielded nearly one-third—21 candidates—from upper-caste communities. The party’s lineup also includes 5 Yadavs, 6 EBCs, 3 Vaishyas, and 12 SC candidates.
CPM-L
CPM-L has put forward 3 Koeris, 2 Yadavs, 1 Rajput, 1 EBC, 6 SCs, and 1 Muslim, aiming to make inroads in key constituencies. Muskesh Sahni’s VIP is contesting on 15 seats with 3 Yadav, 1 Kurmi-Kushwaha, 2 Upper caste, 1 SC and 8 EBC candidates to target specific voter groups. CPM has fielded 1 Koeri, 1 Yadav, and 1 SC candidate for the upcoming assembly elections. CPI has nominated 2 Yadavs, 1 Bhumihar, and 3 SC candidates to contest in the polls. IIP has fielded 1 Vaishya and 1 EBC candidate for the elections.
Muslim representation shrinks sharply
Muslim representation in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections has seen a noticeable decline, particularly within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Janata Dal (United), the only NDA constituent to field Muslim candidates — has given tickets to just four Muslim contenders this time, compared to 14 in the previous election. The move is being seen as chief minister Nitish Kumar’s acknowledgment that the community’s support has largely shifted towards the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). On the opposition side, RJD has fielded 18 Muslim candidates, staying true to its traditional Yadav-Muslim base, while the Congress has allotted tickets to 10 Muslim aspirants.The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Bihar assembly elections. The 243 assembly seats will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on November 14.The total number of electors in the final list stands at 7.42 crore, while there were 7.89 crore electors as of June 24 this year. An Election Commission press release stated that 65 lakh voters were removed from the draft list, and the number of electors in the draft list as of August 1, 2025, stood at 7.24 crore.In the 2020 assembly election, the BJP contested 110 seats and won 74, securing 19.8% of the vote share. The Janata Dal (United) contested 115 seats and won 43, with a 15.7% vote share. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) contested seven seats, winning four, and achieved 0.9% of the vote share. Go to Source