Nitish Kumar’s Bihar Poll Strategy: Social Arithmetic & Core Base Focus

Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has unveiled the Janata Dal (United)’s initial candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections, revealing a strategic focus on caste-based social engineering. The JD(U) will contest 101 seats, with the first batch of 57 candidates aiming to consolidate key voter blocs. A significant portion, around 40 percent, of these candidates hail from the ‘Love-Kush’ communities – Kushwaha and Kurmi – signaling an effort to strengthen this core support base and counter rivals. This move is seen as a crucial step to secure his political foundation before further alliance negotiations. The strategy also includes outreach to the BJP’s traditional upper-caste voters, with 13 tickets allocated to Rajputs, Bhumihars, and Brahmins, underscoring the continued influence of caste and community in Bihar’s political landscape. To build a broader coalition, Nitish Kumar has also included 12 Dalit candidates and several from Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs), aiming to forge a non-Yadav OBC front. Notably absent from the list are Muslim candidates, reflecting an assessment that these votes will likely align with the RJD. While familiar faces are returning, the list also sees some sitting MLAs dropped, leading to internal protests, highlighting the intricate balancing act of Bihar politics.