Bihar Election 2025 Updates: PM Modi interacts with booth level workers ahead of polls

BJP releases second list with 12 candidates

Folk singer Maithili Thakur to contest from Alinagar in Darbhanga

"No, I won't contest. Party has decided... I will continue to do the work I have been doing in the party. I will continue with the organisational work for the larger interest of the party," Jan Suraaj (@PrashantKishor) founder Prashant Kishor said responding to a question whether he will contest Bihar Elections 2025.

Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav revealed that he has been trying to convince his wife to contest the election.

Speaking to ANI, Yadav said that if she does not agree, he will campaign actively to support Tejashwi Yadav.

"I want my wife to contest the election, I have been trying to convince her for the last 4 days. If she agrees, we will file the nomination; otherwise, I will only campaign and try to make Bhaiya (Tejashwi Yadav) win," he said.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav arrived at the Hajipur collectorate to file his nomination from Raghopur Assembly seat.

His parents, RJD supremo Lalu Yadav and former CM Rabri Devi have accompanied him.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar would definitely form a strong government in the upcoming Bihar polls.

Talking to reporter during her Bihar visit, chief minister Gupta told ANI on Wednesday, "I have come to Bihar today, and I salute the land of Bihar. I see that development in Bihar is accelerating, and Bihar is progressing with numerous development projects underway. This time, Modi ji and Nitish Kumar will definitely form the government. We want to speed up this progress even more, which is why I have come to Bihar to contribute to it."

The RJD, BJP and JD(U) on Wednesday reacted to poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor’s announcement that he will not contest the upcoming Bihar polls. In response to Kishor’s statement, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said that the Jan Suraaj Party founder has realised that he and his party will face a humiliating defeat in the upcoming assembly polls.

“Kishor has accepted defeat for the Jan Suraaj Party even before going to the battlefield,” Tiwary said in conversation with PTI. Read more 

Bihar Assembly Election 2025: JDU releases first list of 57 candidates

The Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday released the first list of 57 candidates. Here's a look at the candidates:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its first list of 71 candidates for the two-phase Bihar Assembly elections on November 6 and 11.

Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary will contest from Tarapur, Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha from Lakhisarai, State Minister Nitin Nabin from Bankipur, and Renu Devi will contest from Bettiah. Read more here

Prashant Kishor, the founder of Jan Suraaj Party, has vowed action against "100 most corrupt politicians and bureaucrats" if his party is voted to power. Within a month of forming the government, a law will be made to identify 100 most corrupt politicians and bureaucrats of the state, who, "I am sure, must be conducting pujas to ensure that we do not come to power".

"These corrupt politicians and bureaucrats will be prosecuted and their ill-gotten wealth will be confiscated and deposited in the state exchequer, where it could be used for Bihar’s growth, which has remained stunted because of their misdeeds," he told PTI.

In order to curb the use of money power, freebies as well as drugs, narcotics and liquor in the ensuing elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued directions to all the Enforcement Agencies including the State Police Dept., State Excise Dept., Income Tax Dept., FIU-IND, RBI, SLBC, DRI, CGST, SGST, Customs, ED, NCB, RPF, CISF, SSB, BCAS, AAI, Department of Post, State Forest Dept. and State Co-operative Dept.

Expenditure Observers have already been deployed to monitor the election expenses incurred by the candidates and have reached their respective constituencies on the day of the notification of elections, EC said in a release. During the visit they will meet all the teams engaged in expenditure monitoring.

"Flying squads, surveillance teams, video surveillance teams will be vigilant round-the-clock to monitor any suspected instances of money power or other inducements being used to sway the voters," the statement read.

The Commission has also activated the online system called Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) for reporting of interceptions/seizures made by the FSs, SSTs and enforcement agencies on a real-time basis during the election period.

Since announcement of elections on October 6, 2025, a total seizure of Rs. 33.97 crore worth of cash, liquor, drugs and freebies has been done by different enforcement agencies.

The Commission also stressed that the enforcement authorities should ensure that ordinary citizens are not be inconvenienced or harassed during the checking and inspection for the enforcement of these directives.

Jan Suraaj Party founder said on Wednesday that he would not contest the Bihar Assembly polls, noting that his party has decided he should focus on organisational work.

Election will be held in Bihar in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the counting set to take place on November 14.

"The party has decided that I should not contest the assembly polls. And therefore, the party has announced another candidate from Raghopur, against Tejashwi Yadav. It was a decision we took in the larger interest of the party. If I were to contest, it would have distracted me from the necessary organisational work," the poll strategist-turned-politician told PTI.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the seat-sharing arrangement within the ruling NDA in Bihar ahead of the assembly polls, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday said, "This time, nothing is well in NDA."

Kuswaha, who left for Delhi on Wednesday to meet senior BJP leaders, told PTI that "Everything will be fine. With this hope and belief, we are going to Delhi."

According to party insiders cited by PTI, Kushwaha is not happy with the six seats allotted to his party. He is also not happy with the allocation of the Mahua seat to another NDA constituent, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), headed by Union Minister Chirag Paswan.

JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha asserted that the Mahagathbandhan is not able to decide on the seat-sharing formula, affirming that NDA stands unified and the purpose is to form the government under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

"We are fighting the election on the face of Nitish Kumar. On 14th November, Nitish Kumar will become the Chief Minister of Bihar... 50% women of Bihar are going to vote for Nitish Kumar. The result of the election will be unprecedented," Jha told ANI.

Janata Dal (United) Sanjay Kumar Jha has said that chief minister Nitish Kumar is set to begin poll campaign from tomorrow, Thursday. He said that the first list of candidates would be out by Wednesday afternoon, followed by the second list in a couple of days.