As Bihar heads toward its high-stakes Assembly elections, political temperatures are rising across the state. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary on Wednesday voiced strong confidence in the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) performance, asserting that the coalition would secure a decisive victory and return Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to power once again.

Speaking to ANI, Choudhary highlighted the enthusiasm and readiness among the electorate, claiming that the public’s mood clearly favors the NDA. “The public is fully prepared and excited. A government is going to be formed under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. We are fully confident that this time the NDA will cross 225 seats,” she said.

Her statement reflects the growing optimism within NDA ranks as campaigning intensifies ahead of the two-phase pollsscheduled for November 6 and 11, with results to be declared on November 14.

Prime Minister Modi’s campaign push in Bihar

The NDA’s campaign is being spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set to hold major rallies in Muzaffarpur and Chhapra on Thursday. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister said he looked forward to interacting with the people of Bihar and expressed confidence in a resounding NDA victory.

“My family members from Bihar are themselves in the electoral fray to ensure a resounding victory for the BJP-NDA. In this atmosphere of enthusiasm, tomorrow morning around 11 AM in Muzaffarpur and in the afternoon at 12:45 PM in Chhapra, I will have the good fortune to engage in dialogue with the public. I am confident that in the assembly elections, once again, my brothers and sisters of the state will sound the conch of great victory,” PM Modi wrote.

Modi’s rallies come as the NDA seeks to consolidate support across key constituencies where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) are jointly contesting. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha are also part of the alliance, forming a broad coalition that the NDA hopes will secure a comfortable majority.

Opposition counters with Mahagathbandhan rallies

Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has intensified its campaign, with Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi holding a massive rally in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday. Addressing the gathering, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of being willing to “do anything for votes,” reigniting a fierce exchange between the ruling and opposition blocs.

“He (PM Modi) just wants your vote. If you ask him to do a drama for votes, he will. You can make him do anything. If you tell Narendra Modi to dance, he will dance,” Gandhi said, alleging that the ruling party was involved in “stealing elections” across states.

“They are engaged in stealing your votes. Because they want to end this election disease, I am telling you, they stole elections in Maharashtra, they stole elections in Haryana, and they will try their best in Bihar,” the Congress leader added.

The Mahagathbandhan — comprising the RJD, Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) — is positioning itself as the primary challenger to the NDA.

Amit Shah’s multiple rallies across Bihar

On the NDA side, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been holding multiple campaign events across the state. On Wednesday, Shah addressed rallies in Begusarai, Samastipur, and Darbhanga, calling on voters to support the alliance for stability, development, and continuity under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.

Shah emphasized that the NDA government has delivered on its promises related to infrastructure, social welfare, and law and order, and warned voters against the “instability and corruption” that marked previous RJD-led administrations. His speeches have also targeted the opposition for “dividing communities” and “spreading misinformation” about the government’s policies.

NDA banks on Nitish’s governance and Modi’s popularity

Within Bihar, the NDA’s campaign messaging has largely focused on Nitish Kumar’s governance record and Prime Minister Modi’s national appeal. Choudhary and other NDA leaders have been citing progress in sectors such as rural electrification, women’s empowerment, and improved infrastructure as evidence of the alliance’s effectiveness.

The NDA’s confidence also stems from the consolidation of its alliance partners after years of shifting political loyalties. The return of Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) to the NDA fold after a brief stint with the opposition has strengthened the coalition’s rural outreach. The LJP (Ram Vilas), under Chirag Paswan’s leadership and represented by emerging voices like Shambhavi Choudhary, has been appealing to younger and Dalit voters.

Mahagathbandhan faces internal challenges

In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan faces challenges of unity and coordination among its diverse constituents. While Tejashwi Yadav remains the alliance’s chief ministerial face, differences between the RJD and Congress over seat-sharing and campaign strategy have occasionally surfaced.

The Left parties, led by CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, have brought grassroots strength in certain constituencies but remain limited in their overall electoral reach. The Congress, struggling to regain lost ground in Bihar, is relying heavily on Rahul Gandhi’s rallies and national-level messaging to energize its cadre.

Emergence of third fronts

Adding to the electoral complexity, political strategist Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj movement has announced that it will contest all 243 seats in the state. While not expected to win a large number of seats, Jan Suraaj could emerge as a spoiler in closely contested constituencies, especially in areas where Kishor has a strong local presence through his grassroots campaigns.

Voters await issues-driven debates

For Bihar’s electorate, the 2025 election is unfolding as a contest not just of alliances but also of narratives — between continuity and change, development and governance, regional pride and national leadership. Key voter concerns include employment generation, rising prices, agricultural reforms, and law and order.

Many voters, especially in urban centers like Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Gaya, have expressed fatigue with the recurring political alliances and re-alignments that have dominated Bihar’s politics over the last decade. Rural voters, meanwhile, remain sharply divided along caste and community lines, factors that continue to play a decisive role in Bihar’s electoral landscape.

The road ahead

As polling day approaches, both the NDA and Mahagathbandhan are intensifying their ground campaigns, with leaders traversing the state in a final effort to consolidate votes. The Election Commission has assured tight security and extensive monitoring to ensure peaceful and fair elections.

With the NDA projecting stability under Nitish Kumar’s leadership and the opposition calling for change, Bihar’s 2025 Assembly election promises to be one of the most closely watched political contests in India this year.

Whether Shambhavi Choudhary’s confident prediction of the NDA crossing 225 seats comes true will be known on November 14, when the votes are counted and Bihar’s political future is decided.