New Delhi: As the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections draw closer, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is intensifying its efforts to strengthen its position. While implementing strategic political maneuvers within the state, the party is also capitalizing on international developments—particularly the extradition of Tahawwur Rana—to reinforce its national security narrative and consolidate voter support, reported the Indian Express.
The BJP has carefully structured its approach in Bihar, relying on key alliances and tactical political moves:
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar remains the face of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, providing a sense of continuity. However, his influence appears to be diminishing, necessitating additional efforts to sustain BJP’s dominance.
Political strategist Prashant Kishor, leading the Jan Suraaj Party, is reportedly working to weaken the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by targeting Muslim voters. His campaign, focusing on digital employment and education, is designed to attract young Muslim voters and erode the RJD’s traditional support base.
The appointment of Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is viewed as an effort to create confusion among Muslim voters, potentially disrupting the RJD’s stronghold through its Muslim-Yadav (MY) alliance, which has historically been a barrier to BJP’s political aspirations in Bihar.
In a significant development, the BJP is aggressively pushing for the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian-Pakistani national accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The U.S. Supreme Court approved his extradition in January 2025, and India is now expediting the process, aiming to bring him to trial before the Bihar elections.
The BJP hopes that a swift trial and execution of Rana will generate a wave of nationalism, reinforcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image as a leader who takes a tough stance on terrorism. The strategy mirrors past instances, such as the executions of Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab before the 2014 elections, which helped mobilize support among Hindu voters.
Despite the BJP’s push for a speedy extradition, legal hurdles remain. Rana’s latest appeal in the U.S. references a February 2025 ruling by a London court that blocked the extradition of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari to India over concerns related to torture. Since India is not a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture, this ruling has complicated efforts to bring Rana back, entangling the case in diplomatic and judicial negotiations.
The BJP’s strategy for Bihar hinges on a combination of domestic political maneuvers and international events. By leveraging Nitish Kumar’s leadership, deploying Prashant Kishor to fragment the opposition’s vote base, and using high-profile cases like Rana’s extradition to stoke nationalist sentiment, the party aims to dominate the elections.
However, the success of these tactics will ultimately depend on how Bihar’s voters respond. Whether the electorate will rally behind the BJP’s nationalist narrative or see through the political calculations remains to be seen.
