C aste continues to play a significant role in the political mobilisation of Bihar. Political parties often factor caste identities when selecting their candidates. This is evident in the case of Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha , both part of the National Democratic Alliance, which have publicly declared the caste composition of their candidates. While both parties are being criticised on social media, their actions highlight how deeply caste considerations are entrenched in Bihar’s electoral calculations.

This article analyses the caste background of candidates fielded by the Janata Dal United (JDU). We have compiled the data through interviews with local leaders across Bihar. We find that the JDU’s focus has shifted from Backward Cl

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