Bihar Elections 2025: INDIA Bloc Faces Chemistry Test

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The role of the Congress is crucial, for the INDIA block has slotted the party to chase upper castes while Rahul Gandhi donned Mandal image.

By TRH Political Desk

Patna, October 19, 2025 — The seat adjustment within the Indian National Developmental and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), shared informally, has turned the alliance partners to the test of electoral chemistry. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by contesting 135 seats has asserted party’s ground strength in Bihar Assembly elections.

While leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi raised the banner of caste census in Bihar, the RJD appears to have slotted the Congress to play the politics of the upper castes. “Out of the total 61 seats that the Congress has been allocated, the party is mostly banking on upper castes by fielding Bhumihar and Rajputs in almost half of the allocated seats,” said Rajeshwar Jaiswal, a Bihar-based political observer.

Ironically, Gandhi has campaigned aggressively in his Bihar outreach to pitch the Congress for politics of backward castes and extremely backward castes. The Congress had contested on 70 seats in Bihar Assembly elections in 2020 but won just 10 of them.

The CPI (ML) with two Lok Sabha MPs has been given just 20 seats to contest in the Assembly elections this year, said Jaiswal. Incidentally, the CPI (ML) had won 19 seats in the 2020 state polls. Mukesh Sahni-led VIP has gained a lion’s share in the INDIA bloc by bagging 15 seats per Jaiswal, who added that the outfit commands catchment votes across the state.

“The Congress had sought to question the credibility of the VIP by asking whether Sahni will stay with the Opposition alliance and not switch to the ruling National Democratic Alliance. But Yadav eventually understood the importance of the four percent vote base commanded by Sahni across the state,” he added.

Candidates from the Opposition alliance have been given respective party symbol to contest the poll as late as 3 am to allow them to file nomination papers. With Diwali festival gripping the state, Bihar will slip into Chhath celebrations next week, cramping scope for electioneering of the candidates.

“The CPI (ML) influence is limited to a region (Shahabad) in Bihar. The VIP on the other hand has a pan-Bihar presence,” added Jaiswal, arguing that seat allocations for the two alliance partners is justified.

But the role of the Congress is seen crucial, for the party had stunned observers by winning 27 seats in the 2015 state poll. Five years later, the Congress slumped to just 19. “The Congress must win at least 25 seats to justify the party’s claim for more space in Bihar,” added Jaiswal.