Bihar Assembly Election 2025: Only Two Former IPS Officers Win While Four Others Face Defeat — Detailed Breakdown of All Contests
The 2025 Bihar Assembly election delivered mixed fortunes for former police officers who tried their luck in politics. Of the six former IPS officers who contested, only two—Anand Mishra of the BJP and Sunil Kumar of the JD(U)—managed to secure seats in the new legislature. The remaining four, including some of Bihar’s most high-profile officers, were unable to convert their public image into electoral wins.
Only Two Former IPS Officers Secure Seats
1. Anand Mishra Wins Decisively in Buxar
Former IPS officer Anand Mishra (2011 batch, Assam–Meghalaya cadre) emerged as one of the brightest victors among ex-police officers. Contesting on a BJP ticket, he defeated senior Congress leader Sanjay Kumar Tiwari (Munna Tiwari) with a landslide margin of 28,533 votes.
Vote tally:
Anand Mishra (BJP): 84,901 votes
Sanjay Kumar Tiwari (Congress): 56,548 votes
This victory represents a major shift in Buxar, a constituency that historically leaned towards the Congress.
A Notable Police Career Before Politics
Born on June 1, 1981, in Prasaunda village of Bhojpur district, Bihar
Known nationally as an “encounter specialist” during his time as SP Nagaon and SSP Lakhimpur in Assam
Led multiple operations against Maoists, drug mafias, and organized crime
Resigned from the IPS on January 29, 2024, to focus on social work
Contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent, securing nearly 50,000 votes
Briefly joined Jan Suraj before moving to the BJP in August 2025, rebranding his welfare platform as Kamal Sewa Kendra
His sustained grassroots presence and welfare work appear to have played a big role in his electoral success.
2. Sunil Kumar Wins the Bhore Seat in Gopalganj
Former IPS officer Sunil Kumar, contesting as a JD(U) candidate, won the Bhore Assembly constituency by a margin of 16,163 votes against CPI(M)(L)’s Dhananjay.
Vote tally:
Sunil Kumar (JD-U): 1,01,469 votes
Dhananjay (CPI(M)(L)): 85,306 votes
Sunil Kumar is currently serving as Bihar’s Education Minister and is known for his long policing career.
Background of Sunil Kumar
1987-batch IPS officer
Served over six years as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Patna
Retired in 2020 as DG-cum-Managing Director, Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation
Joined JD(U) within a month of retirement
Holds an M.A. in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi
Comes from a strong political family; his father, Chandrika Ram, was a respected Congress leader and minister
High-Profile Losses: Four IPS Officers Defeated
1. Shivdeep Lande Falls Short in Jamalpur
Popular officer Shivdeep Wamanrao Lande, known as Bihar’s own “Singham,” contested as an independent from Jamalpur.
Despite a massive fan base, he finished third:
Winner: Nachiketa (JDU)
Runner-up: Narendra Kumar (Indian Inclusive Party)
Margin: Over 30,000 votes
Lande, a 2006-batch IPS officer, had resigned as IG Purnia last year to enter politics. His defeat marks one of the biggest surprises of this election.
2. Rakesh Kumar Mishra Loses in Darbhanga
The former 1992-batch IPS officer, contesting on a Jan Suraj ticket, finished third in Darbhanga.
Winner: Sanjay Saraogi (BJP)
Runner-up: Umesh Sahani (VIP)
Winning margin: Over 24,500 votes
3. Braj Kishore Ravi Suffers Heavy Defeat in Rosera
Former Tamil Nadu DGP Braj Kishore Ravi (1989 batch), contesting as a Congress candidate, was decisively defeated.
Winner: Birendra Kumar (BJP)
Winning margin: Over 50,000 votes
His loss underscores the difficulty many senior officers faced in making the transition to electoral politics.
4. Jai Prakash Singh Unable to Make Impact in Chapra
Former IPS officer Jai Prakash Singh contested from Chapra on a Jan Suraj ticket, but failed to secure a notable vote share, adding to the list of former officers who faced setbacks this year.
A Challenging Election for Former Police Officers
This election witnessed an unusual surge of ex-IPS officers entering politics. However, despite their public image, administrative credentials, and popularity, only two out of six succeeded in converting goodwill into votes.
The clear contrast between the victories of Anand Mishra and Sunil Kumar and the defeats faced by their peers highlights the unpredictable nature of Bihar’s political landscape.
As Bihar’s political dynamics continue to shift, it remains unclear how many more retired officers will step into electoral politics — and how well they will fare at the ballot box in the years ahead.
