PATNA: The NDA is poised for a sweeping victory in the Bihar assembly elections, leading in nearly 200 of the 243 seats on Friday. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with an impressive strike rate of almost 95 per cent, reaffirming the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the alliance’s central campaign face in the politically crucial state.
In sharp contrast, the Mahagathbandhan—comprising the RJD, Congress and three Left parties—appeared headed for a heavy defeat. Despite surveys projecting Tejashwi Yadav as the most preferred choice for chief minister, the Opposition alliance struggled to cross even the 35-seat mark.
The BJP’s lead in more than 95 of the 101 seats it contested further strengthens its position as the country’s dominant political force, offsetting the setbacks it faced in last year’s Lok Sabha polls, where it had to rely on allies for a majority. The NDA’s performance in Bihar also comes after the BJP’s strong showings in Delhi, Maharashtra and Haryana.
Prime Minister Modi’s consistent backing of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appears to have paid off for the JD(U) as well. The party, which had secured only 43 seats in 2020, was leading in over 84 constituencies with around 19 per cent vote share.
The LJP (Ram Vilas), led by Union minister Chirag Paswan—who often calls himself the Prime Minister’s “Hanuman”—was also performing strongly, leading in more than 19 seats despite contesting only 28.
With 122 seats required for a simple majority, the NDA was well on course to comfortably form the next government. The victory is seen as significant, especially as it precedes assembly polls in West Bengal and Assam, expected within the next six months. “NDA is heading for a landslide victory in Bihar,” BJP MP and chief spokesperson Anil Baluni said on X.
Jubilant scenes played out at the BJP and JD(U) headquarters in Patna, where workers beat drums, burst firecrackers and raised slogans praising their leaders. Outside Nitish Kumar’s residence, party workers posed with posters proclaiming, “Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai.”
State BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal quipped that Nitish Kumar’s stature was “higher than that of a tiger,” expressing confidence that the trends would translate into final results.
Although no final results had been declared yet, key BJP figures—including Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai), and ministers Nitin Nabin (Bankipur) and Nitish Mishra (Jhanjharpur)—were far ahead in their constituencies. The BJP had secured close to 21 per cent of the votes from the 101 seats it contested.
The RJD, which has long touted itself as the largest party in the state, was staring at a dismal performance, leading in just 25 seats. Tejashwi Yadav himself was trailing by over 7,500 votes in Raghopur, a traditional RJD stronghold, where BJP candidate Satish Kumar was ahead.
Among NDA allies, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha were leading in five and four seats respectively, out of the six each contested. Meanwhile, the Congress—often described as the weak link in the INDIA bloc—was ahead in only one of the 61 seats it contested, many of which involved “friendly fights” with partners.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia targeted Rahul Gandhi, claiming the Congress under him had lost both “legacy and credibility.” “Rahul’s gift to Congress on Nehruji’s birth anniversary: 95 losses again and again!” he posted on X.
Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, frequently accused of being the BJP’s “B-team,” was leading in six of the 32 seats it contested. Prashant Kishor’s widely discussed Jan Suraaj Party performed poorly, with no candidate leading.
With the BJP outperforming the JD(U) in two consecutive elections, there is speculation that sections within the party may push for a BJP chief minister. Bihar remains one of the few states where the BJP has yet to form a government on its own. However, both the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have avoided the subject, reiterating that the NDA in Bihar is led by Nitish Kumar—likely a strategic stance given the BJP’s reliance on allies like the JD(U) and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP at the Centre.
