The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar faces a sharp political test as its two major partners, the BJP and JD(U), have dropped or denied tickets to several influential Yadav candidates ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls. The move, seen as contradictory to the alliance’s ongoing outreach to the Yadav community, has sparked internal discontent and may hinder efforts to expand the BJP’s base among one of the state’s most decisive caste groups.

The development comes at a time when the RJD has declared Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, reigniting the community’s traditional loyalty toward the Yadav-led party. Analysts suggest that by sidelining popular Yadav leaders like Nand Kishore Yadav, Assembly Speaker and five-term MLA from Patna Sahib, and BJP OBC Morcha leader Dr Nikhil Anand, the NDA appears to have distanced itself from a key bloc that historically influences statewide outcomes.

Data shows a steady decline in Yadav representation within the NDA ranks. In 2020, the BJP had fielded 15 Yadav candidates compared to 22 in 2015, but that figure has now dropped to just six in the 2025 lineup. Similarly, JD(U) has nominated only eight, while the LJP (Ram Vilas) has fielded five. In contrast, the RJD continues to maintain its stronghold, fielding 52 Yadav candidates this election, reinforcing its enduring connection with the community that makes up nearly 14 percent of Bihar’s population.

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Insiders from within the BJP admit that denying tickets to prominent faces could send a “negative message” to Yadav voters, many of whom had begun warming up to the NDA under leaders like Nityanand Rai. Several party leaders have voiced concerns that the vacuum caused by the exclusion of seasoned Yadav politicians could make it harder to counter the growing mass appeal of Tejashwi Yadav among younger voters.

Interestingly, even as the RJD has dropped a few Yadav candidates of its own—such as Shantanu Sharad Yadav, son of veteran socialist Sharad Yadav—it has still managed to project itself as the primary political home for the community. As Bihar’s political narrative once again tilts toward caste arithmetic, the NDA’s strategy appears to have weakened its own footing among a group that could decisively shape the 2025 outcome.

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