Defender, Challenger, Disruptor: Bihar Poll Dates Out, Focus On 3 Leaders

As the political battleground of Bihar prepares for the upcoming Assembly polls, the spotlight is on three figures who face the acid test in this election. Their success, or failure, may influence their parties' fortunes and may well add a new chapter to Bihar's political history.

Nitish Kumar: The 74-year-old chief of Janata Dal (United) has been Bihar's chief minister for two decades. Once celebrated as 'Sushashan Babu' for his development initiatives, Nitish Kumar has made more headlines in recent times for his political flip-flops than for his governance measures. Viral videos on social media have raised questions regarding his health condition and led sceptics to wonder if he can handle the top job if the JDU-BJP combine wins the polls. The BJP has so far not propped up any alternative, which effectively means Nitish Kumar is leading the coalition into the election.

The question then is: will this election see Nitish Kumar make a comeback as Chief Minister and take the oath for a record 10th time, or will the results mark the end of Nitish Kumar's era in Bihar?

Tejashwi Yadav: The 35-year-old son of RJD founder and veteran politician Lalu Prasad Yadav faces a tough challenge in this election. In the 2020 polls, RJD had won 75 of the 144 seats it contested, emerging as the single-largest party in the Assembly. But a below-par show by its ally Congress denied it a shot at government formation.

Between the last election and this one, Tejashwi has led his party single-handedly, as Lalu Yadav has been unwell.

After a not-so-impressive show in the Lok Sabha election last year, Tejashwi Yadav has gone all out to score big in the state polls. Besides participating in Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra, Tejashwi Yadav took out a yatra on his own -- Bihar Adhikar Yatra -- to reach out to voters ahead of polls.

The young politician is now up against the BJP's formidable election machinery and must score big enough to cross the line.

Prashant Kishor: The poll strategist-turned-politician has gone from planning campaigns for political parties to leading one. Jan Suraaj Party, a platform he founded last year, is prepping for a poll debut. Kishor, who led a yatra through the state in 2022, claims significant support that will reflect in the poll results. Mainstream party leaders, however, have dismissed Jan Suraaj and predicted a flop show for the debutant.

Some have also compared Prashant Kishor with Arvind Kejriwal and said his list of allegations against Bihar politicians was a desperate attempt to find a toehold in politics.

Jan Suraaj has drawn attention with its social media push, and Kishor has been a big talking point ahead of the election. The results will show how much of the hype he lives up to.