Bihar Polls: Niyat & Networks

Oct 2, 2025 | 20:38 IST

The state’s politics is neither backward nor parochial. Its electoral democracy rests more on local connections & grounded assessments of leaders than on money & media blitz

With the release of Bihar’s final electoral rolls, the stage is set for the final month of campaigning before multi-phased polls. This is an opportunity to understand how democracy actually works in India, varying according to the social fabric of each state and its relations with New Delhi. Only then can we appreciate the distinctive character of Bihar’s politics.

In metropolitan cities, we often imagine politics as a spectacle mediated by loud TV debates, newspaper reports, front-page advertisements, and WhatsApp forwards. National campaigns are calibrated for the evening news cycle and algorithmic virality.

TOI

TOI

Bihar Polls: Niyat & Networks

The state’s politics is neither backward nor parochial. Its electoral democracy rests more on local connections & grounded assessments of leaders than on money & media blitz

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TOI

Bihar Polls: Niyat & Networks

The state’s politics is neither backward nor parochial. Its electoral democracy rests more on local connections & grounded assessments of leaders than on money & media blitz

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