Bihar Election 2025: On October 29, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a series of rallies across his home turf of Nalanda. These were not routine campaign stops. Over the past few weeks, he has been sweeping through every corner of the district, holding roadshows in all seven assembly constituencies.
Nalanda has long been regarded as Nitish’s political fortress. In earlier elections, he rarely devoted this much time to his home district, often focussing on other parts of Bihar. This time, however, at the age of 74, he seems determined to reclaim every inch of ground. The reason lies in the numbers.
A Slow Erosion Of Support
Data from the Election Commission indicates a steady decline in Nitish’s dominance over Nalanda. His party, the Janata Dal (United) or JD (U), continues to win seats, but the margins have narrowed sharply. The figures point to a gradual weakening of his once-solid vote base.
Over the last four assembly elections, the JD(U)’s victory margins have fallen from an average of 21.17 percent in 2005 to just 9.06 percent in 2020. This erosion of support has made Nalanda, a district that once symbolised Nitish’s political invincibility, a much tougher battlefield.
Locals Sense A Change
Some residents in Nalanda believe the chief minister no longer enjoys the dominance he once did. Many say he had “worked hard” for the people when he first came to power, but now his “influence has thinned”. Elected representatives, they feel, have grown distant. The excitement that once surrounded his campaigns seems to have faded.
Others, however, see no sign of decline. They say Nitish has brought “stability and development” to the region, especially for women. To them, he remains unshakable and stronger with every passing election.
Many express gratitude for the work done over the years and insist that “no other leader has done as much for Nalanda”.
Margins That Tell A Story
The EC data shows how fortunes have shifted over two decades. In 2005, Nitish recorded his best performance in Nalanda with an average victory margin of 21.17 percent. In 2010, buoyed by his alliance with the BJP and a strong governance record, the JD(U) posted a 15.88 percent average margin.
Five years later, when the JD(U) contested in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the figure slipped to 7.64 percent. By 2020, it settled at just over 9 percent, a fraction of what it once was.
The slide is visible even in parliamentary contests. Between 2019 and 2024, the JD(U)’s victory margin in the Nalanda Lok Sabha seat fell by 10 percentage points. In 2024, party candidate Kaushalendra Kumar won by 1.69 lakh votes, down from 2.56 lakh in 2019, a clear sign that Nitish’s hold on his home turf has weakened even in national elections.
The 2025 Battlegrounds
In the upcoming assembly polls, the JD(U) is contesting six of Nalanda’s seven seats, with its NDA ally BJP fielding a candidate on one. The lineup reflects both the party’s deep roots in the district and the growing competition it faces.
In 2020, JD(U)’s Jitendra Kumar, who contested from Asthawan constituency, defeated Rashtriya Janata Dal or (RJD)’s Anil Kumar by 11,600 votes. This time, he faces RJD’s Ravi Ranjan Kumar.
Bihar Sharif remains a stronghold of the ruling JD (U) coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Dr. Sunil Kumar facing Congress candidate Umair Khan and CPI’s Shiv Prakash Yadav. Kumar has already won five consecutive terms and is eyeing his sixth term.
JD(U)’s Kaushal Kishor is contesting from Rajgir against CPI (ML)’s Vishwanath Chaudhary. In 2020, Kishor had won by over 16,000 votes.
The contest in Islampur is a prestige battle for the JD (U). In the last election, RJD’s Rakesh Roshan had defeated JD (U)’s Chandrasen Prasad by 3,698 votes. This time, the JD(U) has fielded Ruhel Ranjan against Roshan.
The Final Test Of A Legacy
In 2020, the JD(U) won five of the seven seats in Nalanda, but the falling margins have left Nitish wary. His frequent visits and back-to-back rallies across the district suggest a recognition that his once-unquestioned grip may be loosening.
Nalanda, his home and emotional anchor, will now serve as a litmus test for his enduring appeal. The answer will come when voters head to the polls on November 6, in the first phase of Bihar’s assembly elections.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
