Generally, the margins of victory will be paper skinny — and in a state like Bihar, the place allegiances and alliances shift like monsoon clouds, that could not be extra true. Each election here’s a reminder that even a number of hundred votes can redraw political maps.Because the 2025 Meeting elections draw nearer, consideration is popping to constituencies that noticed the closest contests final time. In seats like Hilsa, Barbigha, and Dehri, the margins had been below 500 votes — outcomes that would have flipped with just some cubicles. The JD(U) and RJD had each gained and misplaced such razor-edge battles, and with alliances realigned since then, every of those constituencies is now again in play.

hilsa
Maybe essentially the most dramatic contest of 2020, Hilsa noticed JD(U)’s Krishnamurari Sharan, often known as Prem Mukhiya, edge out RJD’s Atri Muni (Shakti Singh Yadav) by simply 12 votes — each polling round 37.35% of the whole vote. The seat, a part of Nalanda district, has traditionally swung between the 2 events and is anticipated to be one of the crucial hard-fought battles this time as effectively. With Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and RJD as soon as once more on reverse sides, Hilsa might turn into a litmus check for the way voters view Nitish’s return to the NDA.
Barbigha
In Barbigha, JD(U)’s Sudarshan Kumar barely managed to remain forward of Congress’s Gajanand Shahi by simply 113 votes. Each polled round 33% every, displaying how break up the voters was. The Congress had carried out strongly right here in 2020 regardless of restricted organizational energy within the space. The occasion’s persistence in contesting the seat once more, regardless of friction with RJD over seat-sharing, underlines its continued significance to the INDIA bloc.
Ramgarh
RJD’s Sudhakar Singh clinched Ramgarh by a margin of simply 189 votes over BSP’s Ambika Singh, whereas BJP’s Ashok Kumar Singh was solely 2,800 votes behind them. With three main events inside 2% of one another, the 2020 outcome was one of many tightest three-way finishes in Bihar. RJD hopes to consolidate anti-BJP votes this time, however the BSP’s affect amongst Dalit voters might once more make it unpredictable.
Matihani
In Matihani, the Lok Janshakti Get together (LJP) created a shock when its candidate Raj Kumar Singh narrowly defeated JD(U)’s Narendra Kumar Singh by solely 333 votes, whereas CPI(M)’s Rajendra Prasad Singh was simply one other 400 votes behind. With three candidates every securing almost 29% of the vote, Matihani stays considered one of Bihar’s most unpredictable battlegrounds. The left’s continued presence right here means even small shifts in alliances might change the end result dramatically.
Bhorey
JD(U)’s Sunil Kumar gained Bhorey by simply 462 votes over CPI(ML)’s Jitendra Paswan, with each polling above 40%. The Left’s robust displaying mirrored CPI(ML)’s rising rural base, notably amongst Dalit and agrarian voters. With CPI(ML) now a proper a part of the INDIA bloc, Bhorey might see a direct face-off between NDA and the Left as soon as once more.
Delhi
One other cliffhanger unfolded in Dehri, the place RJD’s Phate Bahadur Singh beat BJP’s Satyanarayan Singh by simply 464 votes, each polling over 41%. The constituency has typically mirrored the broader state pattern — a purpose why each alliances are anticipated to deploy senior leaders right here this 12 months.
Bachhwara
In Bachhwara, BJP’s Surendra Mehta edged out CPI’s Abdhesh Kumar Rai by solely 484 votes. The competition was a straight Left-versus-BJP duel, with each commanding almost 30% every. The CPI’s native base right here, constructed over a long time, stays intact. Curiously, CPI is once more pitted in opposition to the Congress in some seats this time, exposing fissures throughout the INDIA bloc at the same time as they try coordination.
Chakai
Chakai produced considered one of 2020’s greatest upsets when impartial candidate Sumit Kumar Singh defeated RJD’s Savitri Devi by simply 581 votes. Singh has since joined the NDA and may gain advantage from the mixed BJP–JD(U) equipment. Nevertheless, with RJD decided to reclaim the seat, Chakai is as soon as once more poised for a detailed battle — particularly with JMM additionally eyeing affect within the area.
Kurhani
Kurhani’s 2020 contest between RJD’s Anil Kumar Sahni and BJP’s Kedar Prasad Gupta ended with simply 712 votes separating the 2. RJD polled 40.23% to BJP’s 39.86%. Kurhani, positioned in Muzaffarpur district, has modified fingers a number of instances and was even the positioning of a bypoll in 2022. Its end result this 12 months might mirror whether or not Tejashwi Yadav’s message of youth and jobs resonates in opposition to the NDA’s stability pitch.
Bakhri
In Bakhri, CPI’s Suryakant Paswan defeated BJP’s Ramshankar Paswan by 777 votes, each getting greater than 43% of the vote. As considered one of Bihar’s few remaining Left bastions, Bakhri will likely be intently watched to see if CPI can retain its grip amid the NDA’s push into Scheduled Caste–reserved seats.
The larger image
Because the NDA and INDIA bloc put together for the 2025 polls — with voting scheduled for November 6 and 11 and outcomes on November 14 — these ten constituencies exemplify Bihar’s deep political fragmentation. With Nitish Kumar again within the NDA and Tejashwi Yadav main a divided opposition, margins as skinny as these from 2020 might as soon as once more resolve the destiny of Bihar’s 243-seat Meeting.