Bihar polls phase 1: Turnout 64.46 pc; ‘attack’ on DyCM’s convoy sparks row

Anant Singh arrest stirs caste fault-lines in Mokama amid Bihar polls

In this episode of Capital Beat, Dr Sanjay Kumar, Professor at AN College, Patna, and senior journalist Ashok Mishra, examine the political fallout of the arrest of Janata Dal (United) candidate Anant Singh in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj Party supporter Dular Chand Yadav in Mokama.

The discussion focused on constituency-level polarisation, alliance arithmetic, and campaign signals across Bihar. Dr Kumar said polarisation began before the killing and described the death as a catalyst for caste-based consolidation.

Mishra discussed Mokama’s profile as a sensitive constituency and outlined how administrative action could shape immediate messaging. The panel also discussed seat-level dynamics, including the positioning of major and smaller parties, and how emerging combinations could influence outcomes in adjoining areas.

Read the full story here: Anant Singh arrest: Has the Mokama killing reignited Bihar’s caste fault lines?

Tejashwi faces anger in flood-hit Raghopur, RJD’s fading bastion

Raghopur in Vaishali district has long been deeply tied to the political fortunes of the Yadav family. Once considered an impregnable fortress of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the constituency now finds itself at the center of growing public discontent.

As Bihar heads for polls on November 6, all eyes are on this high-profile seat where Tejashwi Yadav, the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, is locked in a direct battle with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Satish Yadav.

Both contenders hail from the dominant Yadav caste, which forms a significant share of the local electorate. Tejashwi Yadav, the sitting MLA, hopes to retain the constituency — but this time, the challenge is far tougher.

Read the full story here: Bihar polls: Tejashwi battles anti-incumbency heat in RJD bastion Raghopur

Musahars in Gaya: Poverty-stricken Dalits could sway three Bihar seats

Way back in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured India that 100 per cent of the country had got toilet coverage.

But it seems he and the BJP-led NDA’s “double-engine government” in Bihar forgot to count the poorest of the poor, the lowest in the caste-entrenched Bihar—the Musahars (“rat-eaters”)—even though one of their own, Jitan Ram Manjhi, is a minister in the NDA government at the Centre.

These Musahars, who constitute about 3.08 per cent of the population in Bihar, have a sizable population in Gaya district. Life without dignity A dingy pathway from the highway leads to Tureekala, a village of 150 Musahar households.

None of these has either a toilet or tap water. They have no choice but to defecate in the open. The villagers say that with their meagre earnings, they cannot afford to build even soak pits in their homes.

Read the full story here: Bihar election: Gaya’s Musahars, who await life of dignity, hold key to 3 seats

Cash transfers in Bihar elections raise questions on voter influence and ECI neutrality

It is raining cash for Bihar voters ahead of the two-phase Assembly elections on November 6 and 11. On September 26, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi transferred Rs 10,000 each to 75 lakh women under a welfare scheme.

This was followed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who transferred Rs 10,000 each to 25 lakh women on October 3 and another 21 lakh women on October 6.

According to a letter written by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 31, protesting the pre-poll cash transfers, the disbursements continued on October 17, 24, and 31, with the next round scheduled for November 7.

Under the Bihar government’s Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY), the funds are being transferred to “one woman from every family” aged between 18 and 60 years as “financial assistance” to help them start small businesses and become aatmanirbhar (self-reliant). Advertisement

However, with the disbursements timed just ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections on November 6 and 11, it appears that most households in the state will have received the cash transfer by polling day, raising concerns that the scheme may be aimed at influencing voters.

Read the full story here: Bihar’s pre-poll cash push sparks concerns over voter sway, ECI neutrality

Former RJD aide Ram Kripal Yadav takes on Lalu’s turf in Danapur

For the first time during the ongoing election campaigning in Bihar, ailing RJD chief Lalu Prasad held a roadshow, on October 3.

The RJD supremo was on campaign trail for the sake of Ritlal Yadav, the RJD's incumbent MLA from Danapur, who is now seeking re-election from the assembly constituency in Patna district and is not in a position to campaign.

This is because Ritlal has been lodged in the state's Bhagalpur jail since April 2025 as an undertrial in an extortion case; one of over 40 criminal cases filed against him, including that of the alleged murder of BJP leader Satyanarayan Sinha back in 2005.

What has ostensibly forced Lalu to step out for Ritlal's campaign, knowing fully well that the move could bolster the 'jungle raj' allegations his NDA rivals level against him and his party.

However, the RJD leader is willing to overlook the RJD candidate's chequered past since he is more interested in targeting the BJP nominee pitted against him.

Read the full story here: What made RJD rope in Lalu to campaign in high-stakes Danapur battle

Nitish vs Tejashwi: Bihar’s showdown for power and public mandate

 The first phase of Bihar’s 2025 Assembly polls will see 3.75 crore voters choose among 1,314 candidates across 121 seats. The NDA, led by Nitish Kumar, faces a strong challenge from Tejashwi Yadav’s Mahagathbandhan.

Journalist Ashok Mishra described it as an evenly balanced battle shaped by caste alignments and welfare politics. The JD(U) seeks to defend its north Bihar bastions, while the BJP leans on its national leaders to regain ground.

Both blocs are aggressively wooing women voters: Tejashwi promises Rs 30,000 annual aid to women, while Nitish highlights welfare schemes and female empowerment drives.

Read the full story here: 'As Nitish, Tejashwi face off, caste, women’s voting to determine Bihar poll result' | Capital Beat

RJD’s Shivani Shukla brings fresh vision to Bihar’s Lalganj battle

Shivani Shukla, a 28-year-old law graduate from Leeds University in the UK, is among the youngest contenders in the two-phase Bihar assembly elections scheduled for November 6 and 11.

The Federal spoke to RJD’s Shivani Shukla, who is contesting from Lalganj in Bihar, a seat once represented by her parents. Her main rival is the 57-year-old commerce graduate and BJP MLA, Sanjay Kumar Singh.

In a conversation marked by candour and conviction, the political debutante spoke about her motivation to enter politics, her father’s legacy, and her plans for development and women’s safety in the constituency.

Shivani Shukla vows to revive Lalganj, empower Bihar’s women

Shivani Shukla, a 28-year-old UK-educated law graduate, is making her political debut as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from the Lalganj constituency in Bihar—once represented by her parents.

Motivated by local support and a desire to continue her family’s work, she says she aims to rebuild infrastructure and public services that, she believes, have declined over the past decade.

Shukla emphasises she wants to shift the focus from the legacy of her father—a former MLA known as a strongman—to pressing issues like bad roads, scarce jobs, and inadequate schools and water supply in her area.

She specifically highlights women's safety and financial insecurity as critical problems: she cites a recent case of child abduction as evidence of a mindset that needs change.

Responding to accusations of “jungle raj” used against her party, she counters that such slogans divert from genuine development discourse.

She pledges to stay connected with her voters post-election by meeting them regularly, aiming to redefine the relationship between leader and electorate.

Read the full story here: RJD’s Lalganj candidate Shivani Shukla: I want to rebuild what my parents started in Bihar

Minister urges voters to create record

Bihar Minister and BJP candidate from Bankipur, Nitin Nabin, told ANI news agency, "I just want to say that people of Patna to come out of their houses and cast their votes. I was the first to cast a vote at my polling booth. The people of Patna should create a record by casting maximum votes..."

Elderly people among early voters

An elderly couple shows their inked fingers after casting their votes.