NDA Clinches 202 of 243 Seats in Bihar as Mahagathbandhan Slumps to 35

New Delhi: Deploying enormous financial muscle, leveraging state institutions to its advantage, and intensifying communal and caste polarisation, the NDA has retained power in Bihar with an overwhelming mandate. Out of 243 seats, the alliance clinched 202, leaving the opposition Mahagathbandhan with a mere 35.

Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM secured five seats and the BSP picked up one, effectively splitting anti-incumbency votes that would have otherwise strengthened the opposition. The corporate- media- backed Jan Suraaj Party of Prashant Kishor failed to win a single seat, though in several constituencies it helped smooth the NDA’s path to victory by dividing the vote.

Among the Left, the CPI ML won two seats and the CPI M secured one. The RJD finished with 25 seats, while the Congress could manage only six. The INDIA Inclusive Party won a single seat, and both the Vikassheel Insaan Party and the CPI drew a blank.

Within the NDA, the BJP emerged as the dominant force with 89 seats, followed closely by the JD(U) with 84. Chirag Paswan’s LJP won 19 seats, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM took five, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha secured four. Nitish Kumar is now set for his tenth term as Chief Minister, having held the post almost continuously since 2005.

One of the most decisive factors in the NDA’s victory was the government’s move to deposit ten thousand rupees into the accounts of women across the state just hours before the election announcement. The amount reached around 1.1 crore women and significantly boosted turnout among female voters, contributing directly to the NDA’s advantage.

Another critical development was the Election Commission’s last-minute, centrally-directed deep revision of the electoral rolls. Of the 65 lakh names struck off the list, a substantial proportion belonged to backward and minority communities, groups that traditionally support the Mahagathbandhan.

The campaign itself was marked by sharp communal rhetoric from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, and other BJP leaders. The NDA repeatedly invoked the threat of ‘jungle raj’ returning under the opposition, reinforcing fear and division. The BJP also arranged special trains to bring migrant workers back to Bihar on polling days; from Delhi alone, 32 trains were operated.

Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan’s own weaknesses compounded the damage. Internal disputes within the Congress over seat allocation and the delay in finalising joint candidates undermined the alliance. In contrast, the NDA broadened its front by bringing in Chirag Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha. Parties like the VIP and IIP, which joined the Mahagathbandhan, failed to deliver any electoral impact.

With a fractured opposition and a well-coordinated ruling alliance, the NDA’s landslide win has reshaped Bihar’s political landscape once again.