Elections for the 243-member Bihar assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14, the Election Commission has announced.

Bihar is witnessing a high-voltage three-way clash between the ruling NDA led by JD(U) and BJP, the Mahagathbandhan of RJD and Congress as well as the newly formed outfit by political strategist Prashant Kishor, Jan Suraaj. Chief minister Nitish Kumar is eyeing a historic 10th term in office this year and has to overcome challenges like anti-incumbency, political fatigue and downslide of his own party in the state.

The polls will be a litmus test for BJP, which is almost equal to JD(U) in the state and is looking to emerge as a dominant force during this assembly election. On the other side, RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav, is hoping to upstage the JD(U)-BJP combine this time, after putting up a spirited performance in the 2020 election. Armed with the legacy of his father, Lalu Prasad, and saddled by the horrors of jungle raj era, Tejashwi will be looking to finally emerge from the shadows as he eyes the coveted CM chair in the state. Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor, who has helped many parties script handsome victories, is confident of making an impactful political debut of his own and is contesting on all 243 seats. It remains to be seen whether he actually manages to score victories or just cut into the votes of either alliances.

Bihar assembly election: Complete schedule