The 18th Bihar Assembly, where the NDA secured 202 seats out of 243, features lawmakers who are older and wealthier than the previous House. Despite women voters turning out in record numbers, female representation rose only marginally from 26 to 29 MLAs. With 111 MLAs re-elected, the Assembly's average age increased to 53 years from 52. Wealth among members more than doubled, with average assets jumping from Rs 4.32 crore to Rs 9.02 crore. The number of MLAs facing criminal cases declined from 163 to 130, the lowest share since 2010, though 102 members still face serious charges. Women voters continued their strong participation trend, with turnout reaching 71.78 percent, surpassing male turnout by 8.8 percentage points, the widest gap ever recorded in Bihar elections.
Wealth and Criminal Cases Among New MLAs
The newly elected Assembly members collectively hold assets worth far more than their predecessors. Average wealth per MLA rose from Rs 4.32 crore to Rs 9.02 crore. The richest legislator is BJP's Kumar Pranay from Munger, with assets worth Rs 170.82 crore, while the poorest, also from BJP, owns Rs 6.5 lakh. Regarding criminal cases, 130 MLAs now face pending charges, down from 163 previously, marking 53 percent of the House strength. Among them, 102 lawmakers face serious accusations including murder and crimes against women. BJP leads with 54 such members, followed by JD(U) with 31. JD(U)'s Anant Kumar Singh, elected from jail, has 28 pending cases, the most in the Assembly.
Age Profile and Women's Limited Gains
The Assembly's average age is now 53 years, slightly higher than the previous 52, largely because 111 MLAs won re-election. The youngest member is 25-year-old BJP's Maithili Thakur, a Bhojpuri singer from Alinagar. The oldest is JD(U)'s Bijendra Prasad Yadav, aged 79, who won his ninth consecutive term. Women's representation increased modestly to 29 MLAs from 26, despite record female voter turnout of 71.78 percent. NDA accounts for 26 of these women members, while RJD has three. BJP and JD(U) each fielded 13 women, with 10 winning from both parties. This marks a continued decline from 34 women elected in 2010.
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