The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led alliance’s Dalit outreach appears to have failed in the 2025 Bihar elections, as it bagged only four of the 38 seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC). In 2020, it won 17 SC seats. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition bloc won one Scheduled Tribe seat each.
The election results underlined the Opposition’s inability to win over voters outside its Muslim-Yadav vote bank. The NDA is seen to have earned the trust of the Dalits through better law and order and development.
In the run-up to the polls, HT reported about the fear of lawlessness (Jungle Raj) from Dalit settlements if the RJD returned to power. Dalits are among the most vulnerable sections of the Bihar society. While Dalits appreciated the political and financial empowerment plans of the Nitish Kumar government, they put a premium on peace and law and order.
National Confederation of Dalit & Adivasi Organisations chairman Ashok Bharti said there were some concerns among Dalits about the Yadav leadership. “I had cautioned the Mahagathbandhan [RJD-led alliance] leadership about this. Also, the NDA had more visible Dalit leaders. Please remember that in reserved seats, usually 20-22% are Dalit voters. So a counter-consolidation cannot be ruled out. ...these results are not reflective of the reality.”
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the NDA won five of the six reserved seats in Bihar.
{{/usCountry}}In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the NDA won five of the six reserved seats in Bihar.
{{/usCountry}}A Congress leader said the Bihar election results point out that their Dalit outreach has been ineffective. “The Dalits still prefer the BJP-led NDA. We have to overhaul our strategy for social justice and become more proactive for the Dalit causes to challenge the NDA in reserved seats.”
Pramod Kumar, a Muzzafarpur-based political commentator, said Nitish Kumar has carefully nurtured the Dalits and even created a Maha Dalit category to give additional benefits. “The NDA has two strong Dalit faces, Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitin Ram Majhi. The Mahagathbandhan did not have any prominent Dalit face except Congress’s state president Rajesh Ram.”