The Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 are reaching their critical juncture. The first phase of polling has been successfully concluded on 121 seats, while the second phase, covering 122 constituencies, is scheduled for November 11. The final results of this electoral battle will be declared on November 14, which will reveal who will hold the reins of power in Bihar. Throughout this election, all political parties and analysts have their eyes fixed on 10 specific seats, often referred to as the 'key to power. ' These are the constituencies where the margin of victory in the 2020 Assembly elections was less than 1000 votes, and this time too, the political contest in these seats is expected to be fierce.
The 10 Seats Holding the Key to Power
These 10 Assembly constituencies hold particular significance in Bihar's political landscape. The 2020 elections witnessed extremely close contests in these seats, with some margins even narrowing down to double digits, while the outcomes in these constituencies played a crucial role in the formation and non-formation of the government last time, which is why both major alliances – the NDA and the INDIA alliance – have left no stone unturned this time. They've campaigned with full might and vigor, knowing that victory in these seats could bring them closer to power. Every single vote cast by the electorate in these constituencies could prove decisive.
Hilsa: A Thrilling 12-Vote Battle
The Hilsa Assembly seat in Nalanda district emerged as the most closely contested constituency in Bihar during the 2020 elections. Here, Krishnmurari Sharan of the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) defeated Atri Muni alias Shakti Singh Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by an incredible margin of just 12 votes. This razor-thin victory margin drew statewide attention. In the 2025 Assembly elections, the same two candidates are once again facing each other, setting the stage for another nail-biting contest. For both parties, this seat has become a matter of. Prestige, and they're making every possible effort to win it.
Ramgarh: Political Landscape Shifted After By-election
In Ramgarh, Buxar district, RJD's Sudhakar Singh defeated BSP's Ambika Singh by 189 votes in 2020. However, after Sudhakar Singh won the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, this seat became vacant, leading to a by-election. In that by-election, BJP's Ashok Singh defeated BSP's Ambika Singh by 1362 votes, while the RJD finished third. Both the 2020 Assembly election and the 2024 by-election saw very close margins in this constituency, indicating its sensitivity. This time, in the 2025 Assembly elections, BJP's Ashok Singh and RJD's Ajit Kumar are once again pitted against each other, while BSP's Satish Kumar Yadav is also in the fray as a third party candidate. A fierce contest is expected here during the polling on November 11.
Kurhani: Candidate Change Adds Intrigue
In Kurhani, Muzaffarpur district, RJD's Anil Kumar Sahni defeated BJP's Kedar Prasad Gupta by a mere 712 votes in 2020. This was also a very close contest that made this seat significant. For the 2025 elections, the RJD has changed its candidate in Kurhani, and this time the battle is between RJD's Sunil Kumar Suman and BJP's Kedar Prasad Gupta, while interestingly, Anil Kumar Sahni, who won for RJD last time, is now contesting as an independent candidate, making this contest even more triangular and unpredictable.
Barbigha: A Matter of Prestige for NDA and INDIA Alliance
In the Barbigha seat of Nawada district, JDU's Sudarshan Kumar defeated Congress's Gajanand Shahi by just 113 votes in the 2020 Assembly elections. This is another seat where the margin of victory has consistently been narrow, increasing its political sensitivity. This time, in 2025, there is a tough contest between JDU's Kumar Pushpanjay and Congress's Trishuldhari Singh. Both the NDA and INDIA alliances have put their full strength into this seat because the vote difference. Has remained small in the last two Assembly elections, making this seat a matter of prestige for both alliances.
Dehri: Expecting a Tough Fight in the Second Phase
In the Dehri Assembly seat, RJD's Fateh Bahadur Singh Kushwaha defeated BJP's Satyanarayan Singh by 464 votes in 2020. This was also a close contest that highlighted the importance of this seat. From the Dehri Assembly constituency this time, Rajiv Ranjan Singh of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a constituent of the NDA, and RJD's Guddu Chandravanshi are facing each other, while amidst expectations of a tough contest, polling is scheduled for the second phase on November 11. Both candidates are making every effort to win this seat for their respective parties.
Bhore: Reserved Seat Caught in a Triangular Contest
In the Bhore reserved seat of Gopalganj district, JDU's Sunil Kumar narrowly defeated CPI (ML)'s Jitendra Paswan by 462 votes in the last Assembly elections of 2020. This seat is also known for its close battles. This time, in 2025, there is a fierce contest between JDU's Sunil Kumar and INDIA alliance's CPI (ML) candidate Dhananjay. On top of that, Preeti Kinnar of the Jan Suraj Party has made the election triangular, but the main contest is still considered to be between JDU and CPI (ML). The competition is intense this time as well, with both alliances having campaigned with full force.
Bachhwara: BJP's Challenge in a Triangular Struggle
In the Bachhwara seat of Begusarai district, BJP's Surendra Mehta defeated CPI's Awadhesh Kumar Rai by 484 votes in the 2020 Assembly elections. This seat is also known for its close contests. In the 2025 Assembly elections, BJP's Surendra Mehta is once again in the fray from this seat, while Congress's Shivprakash Garib Das and CPI's Awadhesh Rai are facing each other in a triangular election. This time too, the contest is interesting, as all three major candidates are striving to win this seat for their respective parties, which could lead to an unpredictable outcome.
Bakhri: Another Close Contest in Begusarai
In Bakhri, Begusarai district, CPI's Suryakant Paswan defeated BJP's Ramshankar Paswan by 777 votes in the 2020 Assembly elections. This is another seat where the margin of victory has been narrow. In the 2025 Assembly elections, Sanjay Kumar, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) candidate from the NDA alliance, is contesting against Vikas Kumar, the Congress candidate from the INDIA alliance. Once again, the contest here is expected to be fierce with a small margin of victory, which could make this seat play a decisive role.
Parbatta: Party Switch Complicates Equations
In the Parbatta Assembly seat, JDU's Dr, while sanjeev Kumar defeated RJD's Digambar Prasad Tiwari by 951 votes in the 2020 Assembly elections. The margin of victory was also narrow in this seat, while dr. Sanjeev Kumar has changed his party this time. In 2025, the sitting MLA Dr. Sanjeev is the RJD candidate from Parbatta. He's battling against Babulal Shaurya, the candidate from Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). This time too, the contest here is expected to be fierce with a very. Small margin of victory, as the change of party has Importantly complicated the equations.
Chakai: Journey from Independent to JDU
In the Chakai Assembly seat, independent candidate Sumit Kumar Singh defeated RJD's Savitri Devi by 581 votes in the 2020 Assembly elections. This was a significant victory as it was achieved by an independent candidate. This time, in the 2025 elections, Sumit Kumar Singh is the JDU candidate from Chakai. He's contesting against RJD's Savitri Devi. Both RJD and NDA have put their full strength into the Chakai seat, hence the contest is expected to be fierce this time as well, with a very interesting outcome anticipated.
Nevertheless, both alliances had already identified these seats, where the victory or defeat margin was less than a thousand votes, and have campaigned with full vigor and determination. This is because everyone believes that the key to power can be achieved by winning these Assembly constituencies. The results on November 14 will reveal whether these 10 Assembly seats truly prove to be the key to power in Bihar and which alliance succeeds in forming the government.
