What Is 2015 Bihar state assembly elections

Overview

The 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections marked a pivotal political shift in India’s eastern state, reversing the momentum of the BJP following its 2014 general election victory. Held in five phases between October 12 and November 5, the elections saw a fierce contest between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan).

Ultimately, the Mahagathbandhan—comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) or JD(U), and Indian National Congress—emerged victorious by securing 178 of the 243 seats. This outcome was widely seen as a rejection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP-led central government in favor of regional leadership under Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav.

• 243 seats were up for election, with the majority mark set at 122 seats to form a government.
• The elections were conducted in five phases: October 12, 16, 20, 24, and November 5, 2015, ensuring logistical and security efficiency.
• Nitish Kumar of JD(U) led the Mahagathbandhan campaign, reuniting with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD after years of rivalry.
• The BJP fielded strong candidates and leveraged Modi’s popularity but failed to gain traction beyond urban and upper-caste voters.
• Voter turnout averaged 56.8%, with female voter participation notably rising due to awareness campaigns and strict enforcement of Model Code of Conduct.

How It Works

The Bihar Legislative Assembly elections operate under India’s first-past-the-post system, where each constituency elects one representative. The Election Commission of India oversees the process, ensuring free and fair elections across rural and urban districts.

• Term: The elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) serve a five-year term unless the assembly is dissolved earlier. The 2015-elected assembly completed its full term in 2020.
• Constituency boundaries are based on the 2001 census and are subject to delimitation; Bihar has not undergone major boundary revisions since 2008.
• Voting age is 18 years, and eligible voters register through Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) issued by the Election Commission.
• Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used across all polling stations, with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems deployed in select constituencies for transparency.
• Campaign duration lasted approximately two months, beginning with the notification date on September 25, 2015, and ending with the Model Code of Conduct enforced until results.
• Reservation policy ensures 38 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 3 for Scheduled Tribes (STs), reflecting Bihar’s demographic composition.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of key political alliances and their performance in the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections:

The table illustrates the dominance of the Mahagathbandhan, which efficiently consolidated Muslim and Yadav votes through the muslim-yadav equation. Despite the NDA’s broader national influence, it failed to replicate that success in Bihar due to regional caste dynamics and anti-incumbency sentiment against central policies.

Why It Matters

The 2015 Bihar elections had far-reaching implications for Indian federal politics, showcasing the resilience of regional parties and coalition strategies against a dominant national force. The results challenged the narrative of a uniform 'Modi wave' and emphasized the importance of state-level leadership and caste arithmetic.

• Nitish Kumar returned as Chief Minister, reinforcing his image as a development-focused leader despite JD(U)’s earlier split with BJP.
• The victory demonstrated the effectiveness of caste-based coalition politics, particularly the Yadav-Muslim consolidation engineered by RJD.
• It marked a political comeback for Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose party RJD won 86 seats despite his legal controversies.
• The election saw unprecedented voter mobilization, especially among women, attributed to Bihar’s improved law and order and education campaigns.
• It set the stage for the 2020 elections, where alliances shifted again, with JD(U) returning to NDA and RJD leading opposition.
• The results influenced national politics by weakening BJP’s narrative ahead of future state elections in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Overall, the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections remain a landmark case study in Indian electoral behavior, illustrating how regional identity, leadership, and social coalitions can override national trends.