Motihari, July 16 —
As Bihar gears up for the 2025 Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sixth visit to the state—scheduled for July 18—comes at a politically volatile moment. The ruling BJP, facing heat over alleged anomalies in the electoral rolls, is hoping the visit will counter the opposition narrative and reenergize its core base in the Champaran region.
The visit, culminating in a high-profile rally in Motihari, is expected to address both development promises and the growing discontent over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Opposition parties have alleged large-scale exclusion of voters and inclusion of foreign nationals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, raising serious questions about electoral integrity.
BJP’s Champaran Chessboard: 21 Seats at Stake
The Champaran region—comprising East (12 seats) and West Champaran (9 seats)—is considered a BJP stronghold. In the 2020 elections, the NDA secured 17 out of the 21 seats here.
In East Champaran, NDA bagged 9 seats (8 BJP, 1 JDU), while RJD won 3.
In West Champaran, NDA won 8 seats (7 BJP, 1 JDU), with 1 seat going to CPI(ML).
Modi’s rally in Motihari is seen as a strategic push to recover lost ground in constituencies like Kalyanpur, Sugauli, and Narkatiya, and to consolidate gains in what the BJP brands as a “saffron belt.”
Development as Political Messaging
PM Modi is expected to inaugurate development projects worth thousands of crores, including:
Launch of the Amrit Bharat Express
Fund release under PM Awas Yojana (Rural)
Support to women self-help groups
Political analysts say these announcements are part of the NDA’s “double engine government” pitch, designed to showcase coordinated development between the Centre and state under BJP-JDU rule.
SIR Row Casts Shadow
The timing of the visit—coinciding with the controversial revision of voter rolls—has added political heat. Allegations by the opposition, led by Tejashwi Yadav, suggest voter suppression and fraudulent additions to electoral rolls, triggering concerns over transparency.
Party insiders indicate that Modi’s speech may directly address the controversy, aiming to:
Dispel claims of voter manipulation
Reaffirm the NDA’s commitment to clean elections
Shift focus back to governance and infrastructure gains
Nitish Factor and Historical Context
The BJP also hopes to leverage its renewed alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In 2015, when Nitish was not aligned with the NDA, the alliance won only 5 out of 12 seats in East Champaran. That number rose to 9 in 2020 after Nitish’s return to the fold.
2015 vote share: BJP 23.5%
2020 vote share: BJP 25.8%, JDU 20.1%
This electoral history underscores the importance of a united NDA ahead of the 2025 polls.
Modi’s Message: Momentum and Mobilisation
PM Modi’s second Bihar visit in a month, and sixth this election year, signals sustained engagement. The Champaran rally is not just about votes—it’s also a signal to party workers and voters alike that the Prime Minister is personally invested in Bihar.
With 21 seats in play, the BJP hopes to turn Modi’s charisma and Champaran’s historical symbolism into electoral advantage—neutralising the SIR controversy and paving the way for a strong NDA showing.
