Ahead of Bihar polls, shifting loyalties come to fore
The atmosphere is charged with defections, alliances of conveniences, and a clear shift towards electoral winnability over ideological commitment
In Bihar’s volatile political landscape, party-hoppers are no longer seen as outcasts but assets. With the assembly election campaign in full swing, the atmosphere is charged with defections, alliances of conveniences, and a clear shift towards electoral winnability over ideological commitment.
Earlier this week, former MP and four-time MLA Sarfaraz Alam formally joined the Jan Suraaj Party in the presence of its founder, Prashant Kishor. Alam, son of former Union minister Mohammad Taslimuddin, has won the Jokihat assembly seat four times—twice on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket in 1996 and 2000, and twice on the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) ticket in 2010 and 2015. This latest political shift highlights a broader trend in Bihar’s political landscape, where ideology often takes a back seat to pragmatic alliances.
Strategic defections
The upcoming assembly elections have witnessed a trend in the allotment of tickets to political turncoats. A total of nine candidates who secured victories in the previous state elections under different party banners are now contesting under new affiliations. Following the collapse of the Grand Alliance-led government last year, seven MLAs from the RJD and the Congress have switched allegiance to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). All but one of these defectors have been rewarded with party tickets for the forthcoming polls.
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Among these defectors is Sangeeta Kumari, who left the RJD to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and secured the Mohania ticket. Another former RJD member, Bharat Bind, is now contesting from Bhabhua on a BJP ticket. The JD(U) has adopted a similar approach, awarding tickets to four former RJD MLAs who switched allegiances after poll announcement. These include Kedarnath Singh from Baniyapur, Chhote Lal Rai from Parsa, Vibha Devi from Nawada, and Chetan Anand from Nabinagar.
Perhaps the most dramatic example of shifting loyalties is in Mokama, where the JD(U) has fielded the husband of sitting RJD MLA Neelam Devi -- strongman Anant Singh.
Congress defectors have also found comfortable positions within the NDA. Siddharth Saurav is contesting from Bikram on a BJP ticket, while former minister Murari Kumari Gautam has secured a seat with the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP-R) from Chenari.
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Meanwhile, the RJD has not hesitated to reciprocate, and extended tickets to leaders who defected from JD(U) and other parties in the run-up to the elections. Surajbhan Singh, who quit the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) just a day before the candidate list was finalised, saw his wife Beena Devi promptly being named the RJD candidate from Mokama. Other notable inductees include JD(U) defectors Sanjiv Kumar (Parbatta) and Bogo Singh (Matihani). Even independents such as Shailendra Pratap Singh from Taria have been awarded RJD tickets.
Defections can’t guarantee success
Despite the surge in ticket allotments, there is no guaranteed electoral success. Several sitting legislators who switched loyalties have failed to secure party tickets for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.
Prahlad Yadav, who supported the NDA during the trust vote, sought to contest from Suryagarha on a BJP ticket, but the seat was allocated to the JD(U). Similarly, Mishrilal Yadav, who defected from the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) to the BJP, is also yet to make it to the candidate list. The setbacks highlight the intense and often ruthless calculations behind ticket distribution. In Gaura Bauram,VIP defector Swarna Singh was bypassed in favour of her husband, Sujit Kumar Singh. Meanwhile, Prakashveer, the sitting MLA from Rajoili who recently joined the NDA, also failed to secure a nomination.
Senior Congress leader Ashutosh Sharma believes that if political winds in Bihar can be measured, turncoats serve as the barometer, where a surge in defections to a party is often seen as a sign of growing momentum.
“This explains why established parties rarely hesitate to embrace leaders they once opposed. The rise of turncoats also complicates traditional party structures. Dedicated workers often find themselves sidelined in favour of newcomers with proven electoral clout. This has led to simmering resentment at the grassroots, which may yet influence voter behaviour. In Bihar, personal networks often outweigh party symbols and loyalty matters less than winnability,” he said.
Smaller parties join the game
It’s not just the major parties that are drawing in turncoats. In Gopalganj, former MLA Riyazul Haque Raju and Kartar Singh Yadav — son of strongman Dadan Pahalwan — joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), accompanied by their supporters. In Shahabad, too, several leaders, including Rajesh Kushwaha and Manish Yadav, switched to the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) in the presence of party chief Upendra Kushwaha.
‘Erosion of ideological commitment’
Political analysts say this wave of defections underscores the steady erosion of ideological commitment in Bihar’s politics. According to Patna-based political observer Priya Darshan, a landscape once shaped by party loyalty and ideological conviction is now driven largely by pragmatism.
Patna-based political observer Priya Darshan said that once driven by party loyalty and ideological positioning, the state’s politics is now more transactional than ever.
“Parties assess candidates through the prism of caste calculus, local influence, and electoral performance, not their past allegiances. In Bihar, party lines are fluid. Loyalty is rewarded only if it brings votes. Parties are less ideological and more electoral machines now,” he said.
“For parties, inducting defectors is a calculated gamble: a turncoat with a ready-made vote bank can tilt the outcome in close contests. For candidates, switching camps offers a fresh lease on political life and better bargaining power.”
