Driven by what appears to be deep disappointment over seat allocation, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), a current member of the NDA alliance, declared on Monday, October 13, 2025, that it would independently contest 153 constituencies in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
SBSP national general secretary, Arvind Rajbhar, officially announced this decision, adding that the party plans to unveil its roster of candidates for the Bihar polls at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, 2025, in Patna.
During an event in Ballia, Mr. Rajbhar informed reporters, ‘The SBSP is set to contest 153 seats across Bihar.’ He highlighted the party’s long-standing efforts, having actively expanded its organizational presence in Bihar for the past 19 years and consistently showcased its influence through various initiatives. ‘Our primary goal was to bolster the NDA alliance in Bihar, just as we are allied with them in Uttar Pradesh,’ Mr. Rajbhar explained. He further alleged that a ‘negative report’ from the Bihar unit of the BJP concerning the SBSP’s strength ultimately led to their exclusion from the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement.
Mr. Rajbhar clarified that the party had consistently raised its concerns, stating, ‘We informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda on May 1, 2025, about our position.’ He added that following a rally in Bihar on May 5, they explicitly conveyed to senior BJP leaders their intention: either to contest as part of the NDA alliance or to go it alone if no agreement was reached.
He emphasized that the SBSP had patiently awaited the final decision until Sunday, October 12, 2025. ‘We were careful not to make any premature moves and respected the NDA leadership’s process. However, with no resolution, we have now firmly decided that the SBSP will field candidates in 153 Bihar constituencies,’ Mr. Rajbhar affirmed.
Regarding the possibility of new alliances, Mr. Rajbhar revealed that discussions had been ongoing since Sunday. ‘We even received an offer of five seats from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, but we declined,’ he stated, noting that he had also engaged in talks with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Tej Pratap Yadav.
When pressed for clarification, Mr. Rajbhar confirmed that the SBSP’s alignment with the NDA in Uttar Pradesh would remain unchanged. He stressed that their primary objective in Bihar was not to target specific victories or defeats, but rather to consolidate their own voter base. ‘Our focus is on mobilizing our supporters, irrespective of the final outcome for other parties,’ he asserted.
The SBSP general secretary also indicated that several former members of both the BJP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal were actively engaged in discussions with the SBSP regarding their participation in the upcoming elections.
The Bihar elections are scheduled to unfold in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting set for November 14. These crucial polls will determine the future of the incumbent NDA government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, as it faces a significant challenge from the opposition coalition, which includes the RJD and Congress.
Adding another layer of complexity to this politically vital state, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party emerges as a third influential force. The electoral atmosphere is already heightened by a Special Intensive Review (SIR) of the voter list, which Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has repeatedly referred to as ‘shuddhikaran,’ or purification.
During his announcement of the election schedule, Mr. Kumar confirmed that 121 seats of the 243-member Assembly would vote on November 6, with the remaining 122 constituencies heading to the polls on November 11. All votes are slated to be counted on November 14.
Currently, in the outgoing Assembly, the ruling NDA holds a majority with 138 members, while the opposition alliance accounts for 103 members within the 243-member legislative body.