NDA retains power in Bihar, decimates MGB, PK, Sahni out

In Bihar, the ruling NDA decimated the Mahagathbandhan on Friday to retain power, reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's enduring appeal and dealing a body blow to the Congress and ally RJD. The massive scale of the victory of the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) can be gauged from the fact that its two main constituents--BJP and JD(U)-- clocked a nearly 85 per cent strike rate in 101 seats each they had contested. The alliance secured a "200 paar" win for a three-fourths majority with the BJP emerging as the single largest party.

While the BJP won 89 seats, up from 74 in 2020, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal(U) tasted success in 85 constituencies, up from 43. The majority mark in the 243-member Assembly is 122.The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) seat tally slipped to 25 from 75, and Congress bagged only six out of the 61 seats it contested, down from 19.

Overcoming anti-incumbency, Chief Minister Kumar thanked the people of the state for giving a "landslide" victory for the NDA. He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for his continuous support to the NDA government in the state. He is Bihar's longest serving chief minister, whilst also holding the post for his 9th term. Kumar was not in the electoral fray this time too as he has consistently taken the legislative council route to enter the state legislature.

Navigating the complex caste and community dynamics, NDA's wider caste alliance that dented the Mahagatbandhan's core vote bank, multiple welfare schemes targeted at Economically Backward Class(EBC) households, huge support from women who overwhelmingly supported the liquor ban, and from young voters also helped the five-party alliance. One of the most striking features of this election was the extraordinary turnout of women voters.

Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), dubbed the 'X factor' in the Bihar polls and whose candidates were in the fray in all but three of the seats, came a cropper. The party, floated by the former political strategist, failed to galvanise votes in its favour, despite a high-pitched campaign and raising pressing issues such as unemployment, migration and dearth of industries.

The LJP(RV), headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, won 19 seats. Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwah's Rashtriya Lok Morcha, both junior partners in the NDA, won five and four seats respectively. Both parties had contested six seats each.

Mahagathbandhan, which includes the RJD, the Congress and three Left parties, faced a crushing defeat, notwithstanding surveys and opinion polls showing its Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav as the most preferred leader for the top post. Mahagatbahndhan also struggled to retain its strongholds. The Muslim and Yadav (M-Y) combination traditionally formed the bedrock of the RJD's support base in Bihar.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owais's AIMIM won five seats. The party had contested 32 seats. Indian Inclusive Party got one seat with its Saharsa candidate Indrajeet Prasad Gupta defeating BJP's Alok Ranjan. t was an embarrassing loss of face for the Congress, often seen as a "weak link" in the INDIA bloc. Rahul Gandhi's poll campaign against the BJP that revolved around his "Vote Chori"(vote theft) allegations failed to garner any support. Nukesh Sahni's party VIP could not opend its account. He was Deputy CM face of the Mahagathbandhan.