Candidate-centric contests mark a no-wave poll

Voters prioritise local candidates over party symbols in a fragmented political contest.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The 2025 Bihar Assembly election is shaping up to be a contest without a wave — an election where local equations, candidate profiles, and micro-alliances are determining outcomes seat by seat. Across party lines, the mood is unmistakable: this is not a statewide battle of ideas or leaders, but a granular, constituency-level contest decided by the faces on the ground.

In both the National Democratic Alliance and Grand Alliance camps, voters appear to be judging individuals more than party symbols. The traditional pull of the kamal or the lantern has weakened, particularly where local figures command personal influence or longstanding social capital. The absence of a pan-Bihar wave for either of the alliance or a charismatic unifying figure has made this election one of the most decentralised in recent memory.

Party insiders acknowledge that in most constituencies, results will hinge on candidate selection, caste arithmetic, and personal credibility rather than party campaigns. The BJP’s strength lies in its organisation and booth-level machinery, but even that advantage depends on local acceptability. RJD candidates, too, are relying on their grassroots networks and caste cohesion more than the party’s larger narrative.

The moving parts in this election are simply too many.

Voters across several districts — from Madhubani to Aurangabad — describe the same pattern: they will vote on the basis of the faces, not necessarily the manifestos, which are yet to be released by either of the two alliances.

Many are treating this election as a referendum on individual accessibility, delivery, and community ties rather than ideology.