Bihar Year-Ender 2025: Nitish Kumar’s Record 10th Term, Voter Theft Row, Welfare Push & More

The battle for power in Bihar shaped the state’s political narrative for much of 2025, a year that culminated in the NDA securing a decisive mandate in the November assembly elections, defying expectations of anti-incumbency after nearly two decades in office.

Beyond the ballot, Bihar grappled with contrasting narratives of progress and concern. While flagship welfare schemes, women-centric benefits, metro expansion, new medical colleges and national sporting events underscored the government’s development pitch, controversies over voter roll revisions, opposition setbacks, infrastructure lapses marked by bridge collapses, and questions of accountability highlighted persistent governance challenges.

A look at the events that shaped Bihar in 2025:

Nitish Kumar’s record 10th term

Nitish Kumar, 75, was sworn in as Bihar's Chief Minister for a record 10th term at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The verdict reaffirmed the centrality of CM Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving occupant of the post in the state, whose JD(U) nearly doubled its tally compared with five years ago, even as ally BJP once again emerged as the larger partner.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR), 'Vote Theft' Row

The Election Commission ordered the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, a veritable pilot project that was to be carried out across the country in due course.

The mammoth exercise resulted in deletion of 65 lakh names from the voters’ list, though the EC insisted that these belonged to those who died, had shifted outside their state, or registered at more than one place.

The INDIA bloc, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, attempted to frame the revision drive as “vote theft” while campaigning against the NDA, alongside criticism of the state’s welfare push, which included higher pensions for vulnerable groups, free electricity up to 125 units and reservation in government jobs for women domiciled in Bihar.

Welfare push

Welfare initiatives remained central to the NDA’s pitch. Weeks ahead of the election schedule announcement, the Bihar government launched the ‘Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana’, with the PM participating virtually.

Under the scheme, Rs 10,000 was disbursed to over 1.5 crore women, though the timing of some payments, well after the poll schedule announcement, drew criticism.

2025 beyond electoral politics

Beyond electoral politics, 2025 brought governance challenges into sharp relief. Infrastructure remained a mixed narrative, with the government highlighting new bridges and connectivity projects, even as a series of bridge collapse incidents in different districts raised questions about construction quality, maintenance and oversight.

At least one collapse involving a bridge pillar during the year prompted administrative action, reviews by engineering departments and renewed assurances of structural audits.

Other infrastructural projects

The year also saw incremental progress in urban infrastructure, with parts of the Patna Metro project becoming operational, and continued expansion of healthcare education through the inauguration of government medical colleges and hospitals.

Besides, the state hosted national-level sporting events under the Khelo India programme, which the government projected as part of efforts to improve sports infrastructure and youth engagement, while cultural milestones such as Bihar Diwas were used to showcase heritage alongside development initiatives.

(With inputs from agencies)