NDA back in power, Rahul alleges unfair Bihar polls
Nitish Kumar’s NDA sweeps Bihar with 202 seats as BJP leads; Mahagathbandhan suffers a heavy setback with just 35.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has returned to power in Bihar with an emphatic mandate, delivering one of the most decisive electoral victories the state has witnessed in recent years. The coalition, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, swept the 2025 Assembly elections with a commanding three-fourth majority, reaffirming its political grip over the state while handing the opposition Mahagathbandhan a heavy and demoralizing defeat.
According to the final numbers released by the Election Commission of India on Friday, November 14, the NDA clinched 202 of the 243 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) followed closely with 85 seats. Key allies also delivered strong performances, with the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) securing 19 seats, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) winning 5, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha adding 4 seats to the tally.
The NDA’s collective vote share stood at 46.7%, significantly ahead of the 37.5% garnered by the INDIA bloc, underscoring the scale of the ruling coalition’s dominance.
On the other side, the Mahagathbandhan—which included the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties—suffered a severe setback, managing to win only 35 seats in total. The RJD secured 25 seats, Congress managed 6, CPI(ML)(L) won 2, CPI(M) bagged 1, and the Indian Insaaf Party picked up 1 seat. In a notable outcome, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM performed unexpectedly well, winning 5 seats and strengthening its foothold in pockets of the state.
One of the most striking developments of this election was the disappointing performance of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party. Contesting its maiden Assembly polls, the party had garnered significant media attention and youth enthusiasm during the campaign. However, the final results revealed a starkly different picture, with the outfit failing to open its account. Political observers say the party’s inability to translate ground-level buzz into votes signals that Kishor’s experiment still needs time, organizational depth, and wider reach.
Reacting to the results, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the outcome as “truly surprising” and expressed serious concerns about the fairness of the election process. Gandhi emphasized that the alliance remains committed to “saving democracy” and will intensify its efforts going forward.
Within the Mahagathbandhan, the mood was sombre and introspective. Leaders acknowledged internal rifts, weak coordination, and a lack of unified messaging as key factors behind the collapse. Analysts also point to the NDA’s strong grassroots organization, effective booth management, and Nitish Kumar’s continued acceptability among rural and older voters as reasons for the sweeping verdict.
For Nitish Kumar, the victory reinforces his long-standing position in Bihar politics. Despite recent political turbulence and shifting alliances, he has once again demonstrated his ability to steer his coalition to success. With a renewed mandate, his administration now faces the task of addressing unemployment, improving infrastructure, and accelerating development—issues that dominated the campaign trail.
As celebrations erupted across NDA headquarters and supporters took to the streets with drums, sweets, and fireworks, the message from the electorate was clear: stability and continuity have won the day in Bihar. Whether the opposition can regroup and rebuild remains a question for the months ahead, but for now, the NDA begins its next chapter with an overwhelming vote of confidence.