Bihar Elections 2025: BJP Eyes Gujarat-Style Shakeup; Will New Faces Replace Sitting MLAs? (File Photo)
Bihar Elections 2025: The dates for the Bihar Assembly elections could be announced at any time. Consequently, the BJP faces the challenge of winning more seats within the NDA alliance. The party may face difficulties in re-nominating its sitting MLAs. The BJP emerged as the largest party in the 2020 elections, though it fell just a few seats short of the RJD. The BJP currently has 80 MLAs, including 22 ministers. The anti-incumbency wave in the upcoming elections will make the contest difficult for the BJP. The NDA, led by Nitish Kumar, is hoping to return to power for the fifth time.
The BJP hopes that the new schemes and programs recently announced by the NDA government will translate into electoral gains. The party ideally wants to field new faces, but implementing them on the ground is difficult.
A senior BJP leader said that while new schemes launched for various sections have strengthened the NDA's position, voter resentment toward sitting MLAs could pose a major obstacle. This election in Bihar is becoming a contest between anti-incumbency and government concessions.
According to sources, the BJP considered a major reshuffle, similar to Gujarat 2022, when finalizing the candidates at a core group meeting last week. To counter the anti-incumbency wave in Gujarat, the party had denied tickets to 45 of its 108 sitting MLAs, including several senior leaders and ministers. The party is considering a similar strategy in Bihar.
In the past few months, the support base of many sitting BJP MLAs in Bihar has declined. Party insiders say that there are clear signs of anti-incumbency in some areas, and fielding new candidates instead of old leaders in such areas is considered essential for electoral strategy. BJP strategists believe that new faces and a changing ticket distribution will not only send a positive message to the party from the public but will also challenge opposition parties. However, this move could also create opposition and discontent within the party, as many senior leaders are angry about losing their seats.
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