Bihar election 2025: Why CPI(M-L) is a big factor this time | Dipankar explains

In this episode of Frontline Conversations, Dipankar, General Secretary of the CPI(M-L) Liberation, speaks with Vaishna Roy, Frontline’s editor and Anand Mishra, Frontline’s Political Editor, about the shifting political landscape in Bihar ahead of the 2025 elections. Dipankar analyses why the Left’s grassroots presence in Bihar has grown, how feudalism and fascism intersect, and what the INDIA bloc’s prospects are against the BJP-JDU alliance. He also examines Bihar’s “flyover-and-bypass model” of development, the State’s agrarian and employment crisis, and the structural neglect that continues to push workers out of the State. He discusses subaltern Hindutva, caste and class politics, and the enduring need for land reform, social justice, and economic empowerment. The conversation also looks at the decline of Nitish Kumar’s appeal, questions of secularism and representation, and the rise and limits of new political experiments such as Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj. Highlights: -Why CPI(M-L) has emerged as a key factor in Bihar’s 2025 election -Dipankar on the “flyover-bypass” model of development and the collapse of governance -Bihar’s struggle with migration, jobs, and agrarian reform -The caste–class–gender intersection in Left politics -Feudal restoration, fascism, and Hindutva in Bihar Watch if you’re interested in: -Indian electoral politics and the 2025 Bihar election -Left and socialist movements in India -Caste, class, and ideology in regional politics -Agrarian reform, labour, and economic justice Credits: Interview by: Vaishna Roy and Anand Mishra Camera: Ranjan Rahi Editing: Razal Pareed Produced by: Team Frontline Originally published on November 4, 2025 Subscribe to Frontline: https://frontline.thehindu.com/online... Follow us on: Facebook - / frontlineindia Twitter - / frontline_india Instagram - / frontline.magazine LinkedIn - / frontline-magazine-b12921295