T he story of an election in Bihar carries the burden of a polity facing decades of destitution. As the State with India’s lowest per capita income and highest rate of multidimensional poverty, the public anticipation for warranting change and a political churn seems immense. For an eagerly awaiting electorate, this contest appears as a definitive test of India’s democratic-form asking a critical question — will the election seek to perpetuate a status-quo of welfare-dependency for the poor, or can the verdict deliver the structural transformation needed to pull millions out of poverty?

Bihar’s electoral map, spanning two decades from 2005 to the current election reveals a dynamic landscape of social shifts and political realignment between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the

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