Political Significance of Bihar Election 2025: NDA’s Resounding Victory Decoded

Patna: Navbharat Times – 15 Nov 2025

The Bihar Assembly Election 2025 results have sent a clear message not only for the state but also at the national level. Despite narratives questioning Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership prior to the elections, the NDA’s landslide victory demonstrates the continued strength of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Under the combined efforts of all five NDA parties in Bihar, the alliance won 202 seats, with BJP emerging as the largest party and JDU securing the second position. Here’s what the results signify:

1. BJP Reclaims Momentum After Weak LS Performance
The BJP fought 101 seats and won 89, becoming the largest party in Bihar. The poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is now a thing of the past. Bihar, along with Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi, reaffirmed NDA’s dominance under PM Modi, delivering a massive public mandate.

2. Strengthening Modi’s National Brand
The Bihar results strengthen BJP’s branding ahead of upcoming state elections, including key battlegrounds like West Bengal. Modi’s leadership and electoral strategies continue to prove effective.

3. SIR Issue Failed to Make an Impact
Rahul Gandhi attempted to make the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists a major electoral issue, alleging vote theft and launching the ‘Voter Rights Yatra.’ However, this failed to benefit Congress, further questioning Rahul Gandhi’s credibility and contributing to the party’s defeat.

4. Weakening of Congress in I.N.D.I.A. Alliance
Congress contested over 40 seats but won only 6, highlighting its weakening position within the opposition I.N.D.I.A. alliance. This loss diminishes Congress’s bargaining power in future state-level coalition negotiations.

5. Proper Alliance Management Yields Victory
BJP demonstrated that alliance politics without effective management yields no results. Differences between JDU’s Nitish Kumar and LJP’s Chirag Paswan were managed well, ensuring seat-sharing arrangements and coordinated campaigning, which contributed to the NDA’s overwhelming success.

6. Caste Calculations Alone Are Risky
While caste remains important in Bihar politics, over-reliance on a single community can backfire. For instance, the Yadav community could not deliver for RJD, mirroring similar failures in Haryana (Jats) and Maharashtra (Marathas).

7. Good Governance and Welfare Schemes Matter
Caste is only effective when combined with welfare schemes and good governance. The NDA’s victories were significantly influenced by the delivery of schemes to beneficiaries and effective governance outreach.

8. Women Voters Proved Decisive
Women voters, a growing political segment, once again played a decisive role for BJP, as observed in Maharashtra. Other states, such as West Bengal, are likely to see parties competing heavily for this crucial voter base.

9. Nitish Kumar’s Leadership Rewarded
Winning over 200 seats in Bihar is a clear acknowledgment of Nitish Kumar’s popularity and effective leadership, marking a significant triumph for the state’s preferred leader.

10. RJD’s Decline Could Reshape Bihar Politics
The fall of RJD opens new avenues in Bihar politics. BJP may attempt to engage Yadav voters, while JDU could expand influence within the Muslim community, potentially disrupting traditional M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) equations that dominated the state for decades.

The Bihar election results reinforce the continuing ‘Modi Magic’, underline the importance of governance, alliance management, and outreach to women voters, while signaling potential shifts in caste-based political strategies for the state’s future.