Vote theft, caste equations focal points for Oppn bloc

The 2025 Bihar elections bring key opportunities for the Opposition's Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance or GA), a part of the nationwide INDIA bloc, to strengthen its position in the Hindi belt, elevate Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav to a leadership position, and give a boost to Rahul Gandhi's stature.

- Anirban Guha Roy and Saubhadra Chatterji

The grand alliance’s strategy focuses on caste equations, allegations of vote theft, alleged anti-incumbency against the Nitish Kumar government, raging issues such as unemployment, and promises of sops.

While the RJD, the main architect of the Grand Alliance, still maintains a solid base among the Yadav and Muslim voters, a combination that had benefitted Lalu Prasad in the past, the coalition is also eyeing a chunk of the most important caste formation: the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) that represents 36% of the population.

On September 25, top Mahag-athbandhan leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Dipankar Bhattacharya of the CPI (Marxist Leninist) and others, unveiled a manifesto for the EBCs in Patna. They announced a 10-point programme focused on education and employment reservation for the Extremely Back-