Bihar Election 2025 Live Updates: JMM opts out of Bihar polls after announcing independent bid

Prashant Kishor alleges that three candidates of his Jan Suraaj Party in Bihar polls withdrew nomination under 'pressure' from BJP

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday extended heartfelt Diwali greetings to the people of Bihar and pledged to bring a change and transformation to Bihar.

In a post shared on X, the RJD leader said, "With this prayer that every Diwali coming after this Diwali of 2025 be auspicious and prosperous for Bihar, I, Tejashwi, pledge to you that we all will light such a lamp of change and transformation that not only the country but the whole world will see it. This is possible only because my 14 crore Biharis of Bihar, 14 crore lamps of transformation, have now set out to illuminate Bihar."

Emphasising his commitment to serve, Yadav added, "I just want to say this to the people of Bihar: Come, let's just once come together and illuminate not only our homes but the entire Bihar. For Bihar, your Tejashwi is ready to burn day and night as a "diya and bati."

Tejashwi further said about a vision for a prosperous future, saying, "I have just one dream: just as a single sun illuminates the entire earth, in the same way, may our Bihar become such a great sun of progress, advancement, and development that the entire world is illuminated by it. #HappyDiwali #TejashwiYadav."

On the party's decision to withdraw from the Bihar Assembly polls, JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey told PTI, "We were misled and kept in the dark by the Mahagathbandhan… We were betrayed by RJD, but Congress, which is a big national party, could have intervened. Now, we will pave our own way and our leader will decide what to do next and if there is a need to continue in the alliance."

RJD’s Sasaram candidate Satendra Sah was detained soon after filing his nomination papers, according to officials cited by PTI. Authorities said the Jharkhand Police acted on a non-bailable warrant against him, leaving his supporters unaware of the sudden development.

"As Sah reached the office of the circle officer concerned on Monday to file his nomination papers from Sasaram seat, the Jharkhand Police officers arrived there to execute an NBW which was pending against him. He was allowed to file his nomination papers... But soon after, he was arrested," a senior police officer of Rohtas district told PTI.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has declared it will stay out of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, accusing its INDIA bloc partners, the Congress and RJD, of violating coalition “dharma.”

JMM leader Sudeep Kumar Sonu was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: “Where an important ally of the INDIA bloc has been prevented from contesting, there must be reasons -- but we hold the RJD leadership fully responsible for this situation.”

Sonu added that Congress also bears responsibility for not ensuring JMM’s participation in seat-sharing talks.

Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) national president Upendra Kushwaha on Monday expressed confidence that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would form the government with a comfortable majority in the state.

Speaking to ANI, Kushwaha said, "As in Mahabharat it was known who will emerge victorious, the same is in the Bihar elections. The voters will decide the numbers. NDA will form the government with a comfortable majority."

Polling in the Bihar 2025 elections is scheduled to take place on November 6 and 11, respectively, while the results will be declared on November 14.

On October 18, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) said that it will contest the Bihar polls on its own and not as part of Mahagathbandhan.

JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya announced that the party will contest six seats on its own.

"Dhamdaha, Chakai, Katoria, Manihari, Jamui and Pirpainti - we will contest these. The situation everywhere is different. Why is Congress contesting against RJD? Why is CPI contesting against VIP? Election strategies change," he said.