India’s on Thursday, with over 74 million voters eligible to take part in the two-stage poll.
The , along with their allies Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), are confident about forming the next government after being in power for nearly two decades.
The ruling party in Bihar has another way to appeal to voters — they can draw on the popularity of BJP leader , the head of India’s national government.
“Our party is a 24/7 formidable election machine. A win will just reinforce Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s central leadership and the coalition’s hold in a key Hindi heartland state,” BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told DW.
“The narrative of stable governance and incremental development through infrastructure and social engineering has had enough traction and we are seeing it on the ground,” added Vadakkan.
Opposition hopes voters are tired of BJP
At the same time, the opposition is banking on the voters who desire change and progress in one of India’s poorest states.
The opposition INDIA bloc, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav, is promising a government job for every household, expanded social quotas, and a fresh approach to justice and governance.
The bloc’s manifesto also includes welfare schemes like a monthly allowance for women.
Another opposition option is the Jan Suraaj, founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor.
“The party represents hope against the sterile bilateralism of the long-standing dominance of BJP-JD(U) and RJD that has shaped the state’s politics for the last 30 years,” Pawan Varma, senior leader and chief spokesperson of the Jan Suraaj Party told DW.
“We aim to break this cycle by offering a fresh, development-focused narrative that transcends caste and religious divides,” he added.
Millions leave Bihar to seek jobs
Bihar, a state with over 130 million people, has India’s highest poverty rate, according to a 2024 report published by the NITI-Aayog, India’s premier policy think tank and planning body.
Recent surveys indicate that between 16% and 25% of India’s poor reside in Bihar, and the state also struggles with high rates of malnutrition and unemployment.
The state also faces a massive outmigration problem, where millions of its residents, especially young men, seek work in other states.
“Bihar lacks any significant industrial development or capital investment to generate jobs for its youth. Closure of key industries like paper, sugar, and oil mills in many parts of the state is evidence of this stagnation,” Rupesh Kumar from Lok Parishad, a civil society conglomerate, told DW.
Priyanka Bharti, spokesperson for the opposition RJD party, insists that Bihar’s political landscape is ripe for change, saying that the current state government led by Nitish Kumar is plagued by corruption.
“There is urgent need for better economic growth and job creation to address the and migration affecting the state’s population,” Bharti told DW.
Government gives financial aid to women
Ultimately, the key to securing power in Bihar is likely to be the support of .
An official Indian government classification places 36% of the population in the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) based on socio-economic and educational criteria.
This label aims to address historical disadvantages and promote social justice through affirmative action.
At the same time, the ruling BJP seems to be pulling out all the stops to woo women voters.
It has implemented the “Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana” (Chief Minister’s Women Employment Scheme), through which approximately $880 million (€765 million) was disbursed to around 7.5 million women.
The initiative aims to promote women’s economic empowerment by providing financial assistance to one woman per household.
Women have consistently recorded higher voter turnout than men, making them a decisive political force in the state with relatively small victory margins.
But RJD spokeswoman says government-provided handouts would not be effective in swaying female voters.
“It is a short-term political tactic unlikely to address Bihar’s deeper, persistent issues such as youth unemployment, poverty, and corruption,” she said.
Political bellwether for all of India
Veteran political analyst Neerja Chowdhury told DW that Bihar stands at a political inflection point where .
“The Bihar election holds far-reaching national significance, serving as a bellwether for shifting political tides and strategies in . The outcome will set the political tenor for subsequent state polls in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala,” said Chowdhury.
She singled out the women voters as potentially decisive, given chief minister Kumar’s expansion of welfare schemes and his efforts to lock in support across caste groupings.
“Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) seats add weight to the verdict, especially as the BJP seeks to recover from setbacks and bolster its numbers after recent national controversies,” she added.
Voting is scheduled in two phases on November 6 and November 11. The results will be declared on November 14.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
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