With preparations for the 2025 Assembly Elections underway in Bihar, the political atmosphere in the state is already charged up as the Election Commission of India has announced that voting will be held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11 with the counting of votes on November 14.
Now, with elections on everyone’s mind again, all eyes are on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is known as the “Political Mastermind” and “Paltu Ram” of Bihar, for his continuous breaking of alliances and striking political survival capabilities.
In the past two decades, Nitish Kumar has rewritten the textbook of coalition politics entering, exiting, and re-entering alliances while staying put as Chief Minister nine times. Here is a close-up view of the political milestones that marked his odyssey and why the youth vote might be the game-changer in what could be his most challenging election so far.
2013: Nitish Ditches 17-Year Old Alliance with BJP-Led NDA
Nitish Kumar’s first major political pivot came in 2013, when his Janata Dal (United) parted ways with the BJP-led NDA after 17 years.
The rift came after the BJP projected Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate a move that didn’t sit well with Kumar, who was uncomfortable aligning with Modi’s leadership style.
The split dissolved one of Bihar’s longest-running political alliances and established the tone for Kumar’s image as a leader who would switch sides when ideology or opportunity required.
2015: Forms Grand Alliance with RJD, Becomes CM Again
In 2015, Kumar made a dramatic comeback by allying with his arch-rival Lalu Prasad Yadav and the Congress to form the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).The Grand Alliance defeated the BJP in the Assembly elections, and Nitish was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fifth time.
This win also heralded the political emergence of Tejashwi Yadav, who was made Deputy Chief Minister. The Grand Alliance was touted as a symbol of social justice and secularism but fissures soon started appearing.
2017: Dumps RJD, Rejoins NDA
The Grand Alliance broke down in 2017 when Tejashwi Yadav was charged with corruption. Nitish Kumar insisted that he quit, but when RJD refused, he himself resigned to be back in power within hours this time, with the BJP again at his side.
Kumar’s move to cross over for the third time in four years sealed his reputation as the master strategist of Bihar politics a person who could foresee changes in the equations of power and change quickly.
2022: Breaks with BJP, Returns to Grand Alliance
In August 2022, Kumar again quit the NDA, alleging the BJP was attempting to “finish off” his party. He returned to the Mahagathbandhan, now comprising RJD, Congress, and Left parties, and became Chief Minister for the eighth time by oath.
His action was viewed as a calculated move to reconstruct a secular front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when oppositional unity remained the trend.
2024: Returns to NDA, Sworn in for Ninth Time
Scarcely two years on, in January 2024, Nitish Kumar surprised Bihar once more by resigning from the Grand Alliance and rejoining the BJP-headed NDA. He resigned and took oath for a ninth time the same day in 24 years.
While his detractors called him politically opportunistic, his followers welcomed it as a masterstroke to provide stability and good governance.
The New Face of Bihar Politics: The Youth and First-Time Voters Are the Deciders
As Bihar’s politics are more cutthroat than ever, first-time voters are turning out to be an influential group. Based on recent statistics, first-time voters have increased to 11.17 lakh from 2020, although still low compared to the 24.13 lakh in 2015.
A report in The Indian Express brings to light the fact that on average, every one of Bihar’s 243 Assembly seats now boasts 5,765 first-time voters, up from 4,597 in 2020 and 9,930 in 2015.
In the 2020 election, there were 56 constituencies (approximately 23%) in which the number of new voters outnumbered the winning margin an unmistakable sign of the way the youth vote can tip the balance. The average winning margin in 2020 was 16,825 votes.
Parties Wooing the Youth Vote
In recent election cycles, the political narrative in Bihar has been dominated by the topics of unemployment, education, and migration concerns that directly involve the younger generation.
In the 2020 polls, RJD and LJP targeted youth voters aggressively by guaranteeing them government jobs and opportunities for development.
This trend is likely to heighten in 2025 with Nitish Kumar’s NDA, Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD and other regional players trying to grab the hopes and ambitions of the young voter base in Bihar that could determine the future political landscape of the state at the forthcoming assembly elections.
The Nitish Kumar Factor: Just a Political Survivor or a Serial Switcher?
Nitish Kumar’s political odyssey in the last twenty years, has been filled with development accomplishments and awkward shifts in the alliances. Here’s a politician who is responsible for bicycle and food schemes for girls, electrification of villages, the improvement of health care, restoring law and order and so on. He was dubbed “Paltu Ram” for his proclivity to oscillate alliances politically but Kumar is still one of the most compelling political figures in India.
With the Bihar Assembly Election scheduled in 2025, the question becomes: Will Nitish Kumar’s penchant in sacrificing principled policies in exchange for survival again – or will Bihar’s emerging youth voters find it a better choice to make now?
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
