Times NOW explores Bihar’s political and economic pulse ahead of 2025 polls

New Delhi: Bihar, known for litti chokha and Madhubani art, is evolving with a young, ambitious population, 58% under 25. Its MSME growth has created over six lakh jobs across 15+ sectors. 

Ahead of a crucial post-Operation Sindoor election, the pre-poll season is intensely contested, and Times NOW’s Mandate 2025 coverage aims to capture the state’s political climate in depth.

The election carries the tension of a classic David vs Goliath scenario, with questions surrounding whether new entrants like Prashant Kishor can challenge the NDA’s established presence or whether Bihar’s traditional Maha Gathbandhan formations will prevail.

Central to the coverage is Times NOW’s Election Yatra, a mobile newsroom travelling 4,500 km across 28 districts to report voter sentiment directly from the ground. From Patna to Raghopur, Hajipur, Nalanda, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, and Darbhanga, the Election Yatra aims to go beyond campaign rhetoric to explore what drives the electorate.

Under Mandate 2025, Times NOW’s programming includes NATIONAL DEBATE, examining Bihar’s key issues with regional nuance every Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, and INSIDE, a documentary-style weekend special analysing forces shaping the polls, airing Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 am from October 11. 

The program ACCESS will follow candidates on the campaign trail, offering insight into their strategies and interactions with voters.

Speaking about the election coverage, Navika Kumar, Group Editor-in-Chief, Times NOW and Times Now Navbharat, said, “Bihar has been the historical hotbed for political movements in India and is a laboratory for all political experiments setting the tone for the national narrative.

It will be the first test for the mood of voters after Op Sindoor and the much hyped ‘vote chori’ campaign of the Opposition. Times NOW teams will be on the ground to sniff any whiff of change with new entrant Prashant Kishor, or will it be the traditional NDA vs Maha Gathbandhan fight?”

She added, “Our election coverage is built on depth, reach, and credibility. From ELECTION YATRA taking the newsroom to the ground, to powerful formats like NATIONAL DEBATE, we are not just reporting events, we are unravelling the political landscape as it unfolds. Our endeavour is to bring political discourse closer to the people and empower viewers that help them understand the issues and stakes and the future of our democracy.”

As November approaches, Times NOW plans to release its Poll of Polls/Exit Poll on 13 November to assess voter moods and project seat outcomes, with the grand finale on Counting Day, 14 November, offering minute-by-minute updates from across the state. 

From the bylanes of Hajipur to Patna’s university corridors, Bihar’s democracy reflects both the rootedness and unpredictability of India’s political landscape, with Times NOW reporting each development up close.