Arun Kumar is Associate Editor of the Hindustan Times, with over three and a half decades of experience covering Jharkhand and Bihar. Ravi Upadhyay is a Senior Journalist who has worked with the news agency UNI for several years in Chandigarh and Patna.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, senior journalists break down the latest opinion polls, voter trends and ground realities from across the state.

They analyse the Bihar elections to see who was ahead - Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav, or how Prashant Kishor’s strategies influenced voters.

They also talk about how women voters, youth participation, and high voter turnout shaped the Bihar elections, along with how media coverage might have influenced the results.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:35 – PK’s Influence in Bihar

05:10 – Nitish’s Options Post-Election

07:47 – Tejashwi vs Tej Pratap

12:25 – Will Nitish Kumar Be Bihar CM Again?

18:18 – Women Voters & High Turnout

25:23 – Rahul Gandhi's Influence on Gen Z

31:26 – ‘Jeevika’ Scheme

33:53 – Bihar’s Unique Caste Politics

38:27 – Social Media’s Role in Bihar Elections

41:38 – Role of Jeevika Didis

42:43 – Nitish Kumar's Health

46:04 – Tejashwi’s Public Image

48:57 – Muslim Voting Patterns

Chirag Paswan is the Founder and Chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). He serves as the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries in the NDA government. His party is contesting 29 seats in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

In this episode of The ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Chirag speaks about his party’s prospects in the Bihar polls and shares his political ambitions. He calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi his inspiration and says PM Modi is the only reason he remains with the NDA.

Chirag also takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s Gen Z appeal, calls Nitish Kumar a “necessity” for the NDA, and reveals why he aims to become a Vidhayak by 2030.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:38 – Tense Moments During Voting

02:47 – Campaign Strategy

05:15 – Ticket Distribution in NDA

07:17 – Disappointment After the First Phase?

09:46 – Rahul’s ‘Reservation in Army’ Remark

14:09 – Why Decoding Bihar Is Difficult

17:40 – Ram Vilas Paswan’s Legacy

20:49 – How Chirag Paswan Differs from His Father

25:49 – Is Nitish Kumar a Necessity for the BJP?

31:18 – When Will Chirag Return to State Politics?

33:54 – Image of a Bihari in 2025

36:49 – Casteism in Bihar

46:39 – Challenges for the NDA

Prashant Kishor, the man who has designed winning election campaigns for leaders across party lines, is now in the political battlefield himself. After the first phase of the Bihar polls, Kishor speaks his mind like never before.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he calls migrant workers the “real X-factor” of this election. He claims that “Nitish is going” and that the people of Bihar want change.

He takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi over his appeal to Gen-Z voters, asking, “Why would India’s youth listen to Rahul Gandhi?”

Kishor also explains why Jan Suraaj will “force another election if needed,” denies any post-poll alliance, and shares his blunt view of the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal: “Their only weakness is a lack of patience and perseverance.”

An unfiltered conversation with the political strategist-turned-politician who has seen Indian politics from every side.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Introduction

01:10 – First Phase of Voting in Bihar

02:21 – Role Of Migrant Labourers

03:49 – End of Nitish Kumar's Era?

05:53 – Female Voters In Bihar

10:07 – Muslim Yadav Equation

12:15 – What do Muslims in Bihar Want?

13:05 – Role of Gen-Z in Bihar Election

19:15 – Caste Politics in Bihar

24:57 – What if Jan Suraaj Joins a Coalition?

27:35 – Jan Suraaj Ideology

34:41 – Comparison with Kejriwal

35:46 – Reforms in Bihar