Bihar election 2025 results: BJP’s Mangal Pandey takes lead in high-stakes Siwan battle against RJD

IN a nearly contested rush, Bihar’s officeholder wellness government minister, Mangal Pandey, of the Bharatiya Janata Party is currently leading in one of the key constituencies in Bihar, Siwan, with 59,450 votes. He held a margin of 9,449 votes over Awadh Bihari Choudhary of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, who trailed with 50,001 votes, ECI data indicated. Meanwhile Mohammad Kaifi Samshir of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen lagged far behind with 2,455 votes. The first phase of polling for the Bihar elections took place on November 6, followed by the second phase on November 11. A party or alliance needs 122 seats to secure a majority in the 243-member state assembly.Also Read | NDA allies are like Pandavas united in the battle: Amit Shah in BiharWho is Mangal Pandey?The senior BJP leader is the current health minister of Bihar. He earlier served as the state BJP president from April 2013 to November 2016. Pandey, who is contesting an assembly election for the first time, has been a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) since 2012.Notably, Pandey became part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1988. He formally joined the BJP in 1998 as a primary member from Maharajgunj and was later appointed to the working committee in Maharajgunj.He has held ministerial positions in several Nitish Kumar-led governments since 2013.In his election affidavit, Pandey declared assets worth over ₹2.34 crore, including both movable and immovable properties.His wife declared movable assets worth ₹52.84 lakh and immovable assets worth ₹43 lakh. Pandey’s declared income for 2024-25 is ₹18,92,836, while his wife Urmila’s income stands at ₹12,77,642.Also Read | Congress 'clean-up' or 'fake' exit polls? Leaders react as big NDA win predicted in BiharWho is Awadh Bihari Choudhary, Pandey’s rival and RJD candidate for Siwan?RJD leader Awadh Bihari Choudhary, the current MLA from Siwan, is one of the most senior leaders in the party. He has won the seat six times, first in 1985 and consistently from 1985 to 2005.Choudhary also served as the speaker of the Bihar assembly before being removed from the post in February 2024 after 125 members of the 243-member assembly supported a no-confidence motion moved by the NDA.He was a minister in the Rabri Devi government and contested for the Speaker’s post in 2020 but was defeated by Vijay Kumar Sinha.Siwan assembly seatOnce considered the stronghold of RJD leader Shahabuddin, Siwan remains one of Bihar’s most keenly watched constituencies. No single party has been able to hold lasting dominance here, as several political players continue to compete for influence.The seat has seen many one-sided wins in the past, but the last three elections have turned into close battles.In the 2010 assembly elections, BJP’s Vyasdeo Prasad won the Siwan seat with 51,637 votes, defeating Choudhary, who received 39,096 votes, giving Prasad a lead of 12,541 votes. The BJP held on to the seat in 2015, though the contest became tighter as JD(U) candidate Bablu Prasad put up a strong fight, receiving 51,622 votes against Vyasdeo Prasad’s 55,156.In 2020, Awadh Bihari Choudhary won back the Siwan seat for the RJD after 15 years, edging past BJP’s Om Prakash Yadav by a narrow margin of 1,973 votes. Choudhary received 76,785 votes, while Yadav got 74,812.