NEW DELHI: As Bihar heads into the crucial assembly elections, political loyalties are shifting at an unprecedented pace across party lines. With both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Mahagathbandhan expected to release their final list of candidates by Sunday evening, the state is witnessing a flurry of defections as ticket aspirants abandon their parent parties in search of better prospects.
No party has yet filed nominations, though the Election Commission started the first phase of nominations for 121 seats on Friday and the second phase nominations are due on October 13.
The trend, though not new to Bihar’s political culture, has gained extraordinary momentum this season. Dozens of former MLAs, ex-MPs, and even sitting legislators are switching sides-—often driven by frustration over ticket distribution, internal factionalism, or simply the quest for political survival.
In one prominent example, a Santosh Kushwaha, former Janata Dal (United) MP from Purnia, joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) after being denied a ticket by his own party. In a counter move, Ajay Kumar Nishad, a two-term BJP MP from Muzaffarpur who had earlier defected to the Congress following the denial of a third ticket, has now returned to the BJP fold. Nishad’s re-entry highlights how fluid political affiliations have become in the state’s high-stakes election environment.
According to party insiders, the ticket allocation process has triggered discontent across the spectrum. Many long-time workers and local leaders complain of being sidelined in favor of newcomers or candidates with financial muscles.
The Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD and Congress, has also faced rebellion within its ranks, as some of its aspirants cross over to smaller regional outfits or even to the NDA camp.
Political observers believe that while defections are a routine pre-election phenomenon, the scale and speed of the current churn is alarming. “Bihar has always had shifting loyalties, but the volume of defections this time reflects deep uncertainty among politicians about the state’s evolving power equation,” remarked a senior Patna-based political analyst.
The NDA, led by the BJP and JD(U), has been working to manage the internal turbulence while projecting an image of stability. The opposition alliance, on the other hand, is struggling to keep its flock together amid leadership tussles and constituency disputes.
With candidate lists set to be finalized within the next 48 hours, both camps have raced to Delhi to contain the fallout of defections. Party strategists admit that last-minute exits could upset caste equations and local alliances in several constituencies, making the contest even more unpredictable.
As the campaign gears up, one thing is clear—-Bihar’s politics, known for its volatility, is once again living up to its reputation, with defections setting the stage for one of the most unpredictable elections in recent memory.
[Writer is Senior Journalist and Political Commentator]
