Beyond its iconic Litti Chokha and famed Madhubani art, Bihar is preparing for a major political showdown. Young, restless, and rapidly transforming, the state stands at the crossroads of tradition and change as the high-voltage election season begins. With nearly 58 percent of its population under 25 and over six lakh jobs emerging through its MSME sector across 15+ industries, Bihar represents the new face of aspiration in India’s political landscape.

As the state readies for what could be one of its most defining elections in the post-Operation Sindoor and new GST era, Times NOW has unveiled an expansive editorial initiative titled ‘Mandate 2025’ — offering an in-depth, on-ground exploration of Bihar’s political, social, and economic pulse.

According to a Times NOW press release, the channel’s programming slate promises to go far beyond conventional campaign coverage, presenting Bihar’s elections as a powerful narrative of youth, ambition, and identity. At the heart of this effort is ELECTION YATRA, a mobile newsroom set to travel over 4,500 km across 28 districts — from Patna’s bustling lanes to the heartlands of Raghopur, Hajipur, Nalanda, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, and Darbhanga. The Yatra will function as a full-fledged studio-on-wheels, bringing raw, unfiltered voter sentiment directly to viewers.

The channel’s Mandate 2025 lineup also includes NATIONAL DEBATE, hosted every Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm, where top political minds dissect Bihar’s key issues with depth and regional perspective. The INSIDE series, airing every weekend at 11:30 am from October 11, will deliver a documentary-style look into the forces shaping the upcoming polls. Another highlight, ACCESS, will take viewers behind the scenes with leading candidates, offering an insider’s view of campaign dynamics and ground realities.

Speaking on the initiative, Navika Kumar, Group Editor-in-Chief, Times NOW and Times NOW Navbharat, said, “Bihar has always been the historical hotbed for political movements in India — a laboratory for political experiments that often set the tone for national narratives. It will be the first real test of voter sentiment after Operation Sindoor and the Opposition’s ‘vote chori’ campaign. Our teams will be on the ground to sense if a change is truly in the air — whether it’s driven by new entrant Prashant Kishor or remains a traditional NDA vs Maha Gathbandhan battle.”

She further added, “Our election coverage is built on depth, reach, and credibility. From taking the newsroom to the ground through Election Yatra to anchoring powerful debates, we aim to bring political discourse closer to the people and empower them with insight into what’s truly at stake.”

As the election countdown intensifies, Times NOW will also unveil its Poll of Polls and Exit Poll on November 13, providing data-driven analysis of voter moods and seat projections, followed by comprehensive Counting Day coverage on November 14, featuring real-time updates from every corner of the state.

From the dusty bylanes of Hajipur to Patna’s university corridors, Bihar’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. With Mandate 2025, Times NOW positions itself to capture this political theatre with depth, emotion, and authenticity — going beyond campaign soundbites to tell the story of a state where every vote reflects both tradition and transition.