Katoria Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date and Candidate List (Photo: File)
Katoria is the pride place in the political map of Bihar, being one of the two constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Tribe community. After the bifurcation of Bihar in 2000, its tribal region became part of Jharkhand.
Now, Katoria remains a vital reminder of that common heritage. The Katoria seat comprises Katoria and Bounsi blocks of Banka district. For years, the area has been synonymous with its hilly landscape, tribal way of life and old temples.
The Katoria Assembly election will be held on November 11, 2025, in Phase 2 of the Bihar polls. Vote counting is scheduled for November 14, 2025. The constituency falling under the Banka Lok Sabha seat is likely to witness another fierce fight between the BJP and RJD for the tribal vote.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, Dr. Nikki Hembrom of the BJP won over Sweety Sima Hembram of the RJD by a margin of 6,421 votes. The fight was close and could have been even tighter if the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) hadn’t fielded a separate candidate. Earlier, the RJD captured the seat in 2005; the BJP captured it in 2010 and 2020, indicating alternating voter loyalties within the constituency.
The polling in Katoria constituency will be held from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and adequate security arrangements are expected, given the proximity to Jharkhand’s border and the forested terrain that has posed logistical challenges in previous elections.
According to the 2011 Census, Katoria block has a population of 156,646, while Bounsi has approximately 151,000 inhabitants. The area is primarily tribal with a low literacy rate and a male-female rate of 902 females per 1,000 males. Agriculture remains the mainstay of the local economy, supplemented by forest produce and small-scale trade.
The Katoria constituency had 259,713 registered voters in 2020 with voter turnout reaching 61.27 percent. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the number grew to 278,169. Scheduled Castes form 12.08 percent of the electorate, Scheduled Tribes 9.18 percent and Muslims 11.1 percent, making Katoria a constituency of diverse yet predominantly rural demographics.
Katoria was a general seat in the 1951 elections and after the 2008 delimitation, it became an ST-reserved constituency. Since then, it has represented tribal political voice in Bihar. Since Nikki Hembrom and Sweety Sima Hembram are likely to face each other once again in 2025.
DISCLAIMER: Election details, dates and candidate information are based on official Election Commission data and public sources; updates may follow official announcements.
