Bihar Assembly Elections Expected to Influence National Political Alliances

The upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for November 6 and 11 with results on November 14, are highly competitive and seen as a significant test of political alliances and Prime Minister Modi's popularity. The main contest is between the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the BJP and Janata Dal (United), and the opposition INDIA bloc led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, with a new party, Jan Suraaj, also participating. Bihar's politics, historically dominated by leaders Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav, is in transition, with Nitish possibly nearing the end of his political career and new dynamics emerging from shifting alliances. The extensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, which resulted in the deletion of nearly 6.8 million names, has sparked controversy, with the opposition accusing the Election Commission of bias, while officials defend the process as necessary and transparent. These elections are expected to influence power balances not only in Bihar but also in national politics, reflecting broader shifts in caste and identity politics. Additionally, concurrent electoral processes in Jammu and Kashmir, including Rajya Sabha and assembly by-polls, are being watched as indicators of the political strength of regional parties and alliances.