CASTE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN BIHAR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

Caste equations shape Bihar’s first-phase pollas alliances balance representation and core support bases.

- TIKAM SHARMA

The caste dynamics that have long defined Bihar’s politics are once again steering the course of the electoral battlefield. Both major coalitions — the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) — have announced their candidates for the 121 Assembly seats going to polls in the first phase, meticulously balancing social representation while striving to expand their voter base across the state’s diverse communities.

Both alliances have prioritized candidates from backward and most backward castes, though their approaches differ. The NDA has focused heavily on the Kurmi and Kushwaha communities, while the Grand Alliance has placed its strongest bet on the Yadavs. Meanwhile, the Jan Suraj front, led by former MP Pappu Yadav, has emerged as the platform with the highest number of upper-caste candidates in this phase.

As per the data, the NDA has allotted 25 tickets each to candidates from the Kurmi and Kushwaha communities — a clear strategy to fortify Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Kurmi base and strengthen its support among the numerically significant Kushwahas. In contrast, the Grand Alliance has fielded 71 candidates from backward and most backward castes, with Yadavs — the traditional backbone of the RJD's support — accounting for 40 of them.