Decisive election for a new Bihar

‘The Bihar Assembly Election 2025 is poised to be historic in many ways. This election isnot merely abouta change of power but abouta major shiftin political thinking, issues, and leadership.

- PANKAJ MISHRA

After more than two decades, itseems that the state is on the verge of entering a new era, one defined by new leadership, a younger generation, anda fresh political approach.

This time, the contest goes beyond the traditional rivalry between the Mahagathbandhan and the NDA. A third force Jan Suraj has emerged as a ray of hope. ‘Through transparent candidate selection anda grassroots style of campaigning, it has managed to build trust among the people. Its rise has forced traditional parties to rethink their strategies. Clearly, this election is notjustabout caste equations but about competing ideas and the agenda of development.

For a long time, Bihar’s politics has been trapped in the web of caste-based calculations. Elections often revolved around vote banks shaped by caste identity. But this time, the mood seems different. Young voters, migrant Biharis, and urban citizensare showing greater interest inissuesthat directly affect their lives. The common voter now understands that casting a vote merely on caste identity willnot change their family’s future.