NDA Tsunami Sweeps Bihar, Mahagathbandhan Defeated; Congress Claims ‘Vote Chori’

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a decisive victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, leaving the opposition Mahagathbandhan struggling to keep pace. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single-largest party with 89 seats, closely followed by the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) with 85 seats. Other allies of the ruling coalition also registered strong performances, contributing to the NDA’s total tally of 202 seats in the 243-member House, marking a three-fourths majority.

The opposition Mahagathbandhan, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and other parties, suffered major setbacks. Jan Suraaj, founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor and hoping for a strong debut, failed to win any seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing victory celebrations at the BJP headquarters in Patna, described the mandate as a vote for “genuine social justice” that ensures opportunity, respect, and equality for every family. He took repeated digs at the RJD and Congress, asserting that the NDA’s triumph in Bihar paves the way for a BJP win in the West Bengal Assembly elections next year.

Celebrations erupted among workers of the BJP, JD-U, and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Patna and Delhi. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to take oath for another term, with the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, which provided Rs 10,000 to over 1.2 crore women, and other welfare initiatives cited as key factors behind the NDA’s success. The alliance also secured strong support from youth voters.

In a post on X, Nitish Kumar thanked the voters and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and NDA partners, including Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Lok Morcha, and Hindustani Awam Morcha. He highlighted the unity within the alliance as critical to its massive victory and emphasised that Bihar is now poised to become one of the country’s most developed states.

Congress, reduced to just six seats, alleged “vote chori” and accused the NDA of orchestrating the election outcome. Party leader Jairam Ramesh claimed the results reflect large-scale manipulation by the Prime Minister, Home Ministry, and Election Commission.

Among the NDA, the BJP won 89 seats, JD-U 85, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) 19, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) 5, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha 4 seats. In the Mahagathbandhan, RJD secured 25 seats, CPI(ML)(Liberation) 2, Indian Inclusive Party 1, and CPI(M) 1. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won one seat.

BJP National President JP Nadda described the victory as a “tsunami,” reflecting the people’s trust in Prime Minister Modi and development-oriented governance. PM Modi, in his speech, emphasised the “new positive MY formula” – Mahila and Youth – as opposed to the RJD’s traditional Muslim-Yadav (MY) vote base. He lauded the state’s voters for participating fearlessly and enthusiastically, citing record turnout and peaceful polling, even in areas previously affected by Maoist activity.

Modi also criticised the Congress, labelling it the “Muslim League Maoist Congress” (MMC), and accused the party of negative politics and attempting to undermine its allies. He took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over his campaign antics in Begusarai, alleging that Congress’s strategies were detrimental to voters and allies alike.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who initially trailed from Raghopur, eventually won his seat. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the election “unfair from the beginning” and promised a review to strengthen efforts to protect democracy.

Women voters outnumbered men in both phases of polling held on November 6 and 11, with Bihar recording a historic turnout of 67.13% – the highest since 1951 – including 71.6% women and 62.8% men.

Experts cited the lack of a cohesive strategy and failure to effectively mobilise the social coalition as key reasons for the Mahagathbandhan’s poor performance. Despite RJD’s perceived strong Muslim-Yadav support, the alliance could not convert it into votes. In terms of vote share, RJD received 23%, BJP 20.08%, and JD-U 19.25%.

The NDA’s victory signals strong voter endorsement for development-driven governance and positions the alliance for continued influence in the region ahead of next year’s elections.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Calls Bihar Poll Result Surprising, Slams Election as Unfair