Despite top political leaders talking about dynasty politics corroding the fabric of democracy, most major political parties in poll-bound Bihar continue to hand out tickets to kith and kin of those holding sway over their parties or alliances.
Ahead of Bihar Assembly election, parties belonging to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc have given tickets to their family members.
Across different political parties, the sons, daughters, wives, daughter-in-laws, son-in-laws and nephews of politicians are in the fray.
In NDA, the founder of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi tops the list of tickets provided to his family members. Mr. Manjhi’s daughter-in-law Deepa Kumari is contesting from Imamganj seat whereas Deepa Kumari’s mother Jyoti Devi is being fielded in Barachatti Assembly constituency. Mr. Manjhi’s son-in-law Praful Manjhi has been fielded from Sikandra Assembly seat.
Former MP and seasoned Bhumihar leader Arun Kumar has managed to get tickets for three members of his family — his son, brother and nephew — in NDA bloc. Mr. Arun’s son Rituraj Kumar is Janata Dal (United) candidate from Ghosi Assembly seat, while his brother Anil Kumar and nephew Romit Kumar have got HAM(S) tickets in Tikari and Atari Assembly constituencies, respectively.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which remains vocal on dynasty politics and never misses a chance to attack the Opposition parties over nepotism, has also taken decisions going against its own rhetoric.
The BJP, which has fielded candidates in 101 Assembly seats, has given tickets to family members of established politicians when one goes through the list of its nominees.
Prominent among the names is Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who is the son of veteran leader and former MP Shakuni Choudhary, a founding member of the erstwhile Samata Party. Mr. Samrat Choudhary is contesting an election after a gap of 15 years from Tarapur Assembly seat.
The BJP has renominated Nitish Mishra from Jhanjharpur Assembly seat, who is the son of former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and nephew of former Railway Minister L.N. Mishra. Mr. Nitish Mishra is currently a State Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led Cabinet.
Similarly, Shreyasi Singh has been renominated from Jamui Assembly seat. Ms. Singh is the daughter of former Union Minister late Digvijay Singh, while her mother Putul Kumari was an MP from Banka parliamentary constituency.
The BJP has replaced its candidate in Gaura-Bauram Assembly seat and given a ticket to Sujit Kumar Singh. His wife Swarna Singh is the sitting MLA. She had won the 2020 Assembly election as a candidate of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) but later joined the BJP.
Another name in the list is Sanjeev Chourasia in Digha Assembly seat, who is the son of veteran BJP leader and former Governor Ganga Prasad. Nitin Nabin, who has been fielded from Bankipore Assembly seat, is the son of former MLA Navin Kishore Prasad.
There are several other candidates of BJP like Rana Randhir in Madhuban seat (son of former MLA and former MP Sitaram Singh), Devesh Kant Singh in Goriyakothi seat (son of former MLA Bhupendra Narayan Singh), Vishal Prasant in Tarari seat (son of former MLA Sunil Pandey), Gayatri Devi in Parihar seat (daughter-in-law of former MLA Ram Naresh Yadav), and Arun Kumar Singh in Baruraj seat (a third-generation leader as his father Brij Kishore Singh and grandfather Yamuna Singh were MLAs)
The JD(U)’s list of candidates is not different from its alliance partner as it has fielded several such nominees with connections to serving politicians. Anant Singh, a strongman politician, is contesting from Mokama. He is the husband of sitting MLA Neelam Devi. Chetan Anand, son of former MP Anand Mohan, has been nominated from Nabinagar seat and Abhishek Kumar, the candidate of Cheriya-Bariyarpur, is the son of former Minister Manju Verma.
JD(U)’s Komal Singh is the daughter of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s MP Veena Devi. Ms. Komal Singh is contesting from Gaighat. Another strongman Dhumal Singh has been fielded in Ekma seat where his wife Sita Devi contested the 2020 Assembly election but lost as JD(U) candidate against RJD’s Srikant Yadav.
Vibha Devi, wife of former MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav recently acquitted in the sexual assault case involving a minor is contesting as JD(U) candidate in Nawada Assembly seat. Similarly, former MP Prabunath Singh who is currently serving a life sentence in the murder case of MLA Ashok Singh, has managed to get tickets for his son and brother in two different political parties. His son Randhir Singh is a JD(U) candidate in Manjhi Assembly constituency whereas his brother Kedarnath Singh is BJP’s candidate in Baniapur seat.
LJP(RV) led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, son of late Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, has also givien tickets to his nephew Simant Mrinal, while his brother-in-law is already an MP from Jamui.
Also in the fray is Snehlata from Sasaram Assembly constituency, wife of Upendra Kushwaha, Rajya Sabha member and head of Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).
The RJD, which has faced criticism for gravitating towards dynasty politics for several years, has several such candidates including Tejashwi Yadav, son of former Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, is contesting from Raghopur Assembly seat.
The party has given a ticket to Osama Shahab, son of don-turned-politician late Mohammad Shahabuddin, from Raghunathpur seat in Siwan district whereas Shivani Shukla, daughter of former MLA and strongman Munna Shukla, who is currently serving life sentence in the Brij Bihari murder case, is nominated from Lalganj Assembly seat. Ms. Shukla’s mother is a former MLA from the seat.
The RJD has also fielded Rahul Tiwary, son of senior RJD leader and former MP Shivanand Tiwary from Shahpur Assembly seat. Karishma Rai, granddaughter of former CM Daroga Prasad Rai, is contesting from Parsa Assembly seat whereas Rahul Sharma, son of former MLA Jagdish Sharma, is the candidate from Ghosi seat.
VIP chief Mukesh Sahani has fielded his younger brother Santosh Sahani from Gaura-Bauram seat where there is a friendly contest with RJDs’ candidate Afzal Ali Khan.
Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) is no exception as it gave tickets to Lata Singh, daughter of former MP R.C.P Singh from Asthawan Assembly seat besides Jagriti Thakur, granddaughter of Bharat Ratna awardee and socialist leader Karpoori Thakur, in Morwa Assembly seat.
Published – October 21, 2025 08:33 pm IST