NDA shows rare unity, re-establishes power in Bihar

Declaring that their strength lies in their unity and working for the development of Bihar, the alliance achieved the target by crossing the 200 seats mark once again in the 2025 Bihar elections. This is the second time the ruling alliance has crossed the 200-mark after the 2010 assembly elections, when the NDA had secured 206 seats.

The year 2025 proved remarkable for the five-party alliance, showing a rare unity despite hiccups during seat-sharing talks. The NDA experienced a highly volatile “roller coaster” ride in Bihar politics, but the alliance bounced back from every stumble and won a landslide victory in the assembly elections. The most important aspect of this victory was that the alliance challenged the 20-year rule led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In this election, BJP emerged as the largest party in Bihar with 89 seats. After this, ally JD (U) secured 85 seats, while Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV) contributed 19 seats. The other two allies – HAM-S and RLM – won four seats each. In the last assembly elections, RJD was the largest party with 74 seats, but this time, its tally dropped sharply to 25 seats. In the 2020 assembly elections, BJP had won 74 seats with 19.46 percent vote share. Whereas in the last election, JDU had won 43 seats and its vote percentage was 15.39 percent.

The unprecedented electoral success of the NDA was a result of the exemplary unity shown by its constituents during the election campaign – the presence of state presidents of all the constituent parties of the NDA in more than two dozen such conferences held in different parts of the state.

Alliance Chemistry, Leadership Factors, Governance Decisions

The NDA’s landslide victory in Bihar was the result of a well-planned strategy for success. Firstly, perfect chemistry among the alliance partners, whereas it was clearly absent in the Grand Alliance (MGB). All NDA allies contributed to its success. There was interdependence between the partners in terms of seat allocation within the NDA. The second major factor was that key NDA leaders directed the campaigns of both the alliance and individual partners. This was a recipe for victory. The fact that the NDA is the ruling coalition at the Center also helped.

The NDA victory also confirmed CM Nitish Kumar’s central role in Bihar politics, as his party JD(U) almost doubled its 2020 figure, even as its ally BJP remained ahead as the largest individual party in the state.

Governance decisions became a major electoral battleground ahead of the elections. Long before the election schedule was announced, the state government introduced or expanded several welfare measures, many of which mirrored promises made by the opposition.

A few weeks before the announcement of the election schedule, the Bihar government launched the “Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana”, in which the PM participated virtually. under the scheme, Rs 10,000 were distributed to more than 1.5 crore women, although the timing of some payments right after the election schedule was announced drew criticism.

Election Commission data showed that the NDA’s lead was helped by an increase of about 10 per cent in its own vote share, which was mainly attributed to the scale and reach of welfare measures.

campaign strategy

The NDA’s strategy revolves around a unified campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with an emphasis on development, women empowerment and good governance. Modi addressed several rallies calling for a “double-engine” development model.

CM Nitish Kumar focused on welfare schemes, especially those benefiting women and youth, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted infiltration concerns and infrastructure progress. The coalition’s disciplined seat-sharing and effective vote transfer among allies proved crucial.

Political observers point to four key components that shaped the campaign.

Preparations for the election began months before voting. Senior leaders of BJP and JD(U) held several strategy sessions aimed at synchronizing their ground operations. The bulk of the effort lies in strengthening booth committees and improving communication at the grassroots level. In many constituencies, constituencies with strong booth-level structures saw an increase in organizational voting and voter participation.

Another important aspect that was managed effectively was internal dissent, which had often posed challenges to alliances in the past. This election cycle saw a concerted effort to prevent vote-splitting within the NDA. In a series of three-day meetings in Patna, Shah met about a hundred dissident leaders and potential rebels. Many were persuaded to withdraw from the alliance or re-align with it, reducing the chances of a multi-cornered contest. The results show that many close seats were ultimately decided by narrow margins, suggesting that strengthening the coalition’s internal ranks played a meaningful role in the final tally.

The NDA’s strategy also revolves around targeted social outreach. Campaign efforts focused on extremely backward classes (EBCs) for over a month, with parallel programs for Mahadalit, Paswan and Pasi communities. Coordination with JD(U) leaders helped retain the Koeri-Kurmi base, which was long considered a core support group.

Women voters emerged as a key constituency for all parties in this election. The NDA’s message for women focuses on welfare schemes, security initiatives and household-level benefits. Young and first-time voters were addressed separately with themes of opportunity and development. Welfare-related communications also attempted to reach Muslim voters, indicating an effort to broaden the coalition’s appeal.

NDA’s regional allies expand caste reach

Riding the NDA wave, the three smaller allies in the alliance – LJP (RV), HAM-S and RLM – won 28 out of 40 seats, becoming crucial to the caste arithmetic of the alliance in a state where voting after such a mistake is politically important.

Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) represents Dalit Paswans, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) enjoys support among Dalit Manjhis, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha attracts Kushwahas – a demographic the Rashtriya Janata Dal has also targeted.

While HAM-S won five out of six seats and RLM won four out of six seats, LJP (RV) contested 28 seats and won 19 seats. This continues the party’s momentum from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when it won all five seats it contested.

The change marks a dramatic reversal from 2020, when Chirag Paswan contested 147 of the 243 assembly seats and won just one, leaving the Janata Dal (United) to fall to 43 seats – its lowest tally since 2005.

Gyanendra Yadav, professor of sociology at the College of Commerce, Patna, said, “LJP’s performance helped the alliance in Dalit and MBC areas where the RJD was once dominant. Their contribution proved particularly important in central and western Bihar, where LJP has built a strong local base.”

It was also a time of resurgence for Upendra Kushwaha’s party, which contested 6 seats in the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and won 4 of these 6 seats.

However, even a month after government formation, the party faces internal dissent, as three out of four MLAs have openly opposed the appointment of Upendra Kushwaha’s son Deepak Prakash as a minister, despite the fact that he is neither an MLA nor an MLC. The move led to significant internal resentment and accusations of “dynastic politics”.

The seats of Manjhi’s party HAM-S also increased from four to five.

What’s Next – The Problem of Abundance

Such a big mandate also has its shortcomings. People’s expectations will increase and there will be pressure on the government to complete the work.

The year 2026 could be different for Nitish, as there are whispers that the BJP wants him to vacate the CM chair for someone from the saffron party. Both BJP and JD(U) leaders are claiming that most of the RJD MLAs have contacted them and expressed their willingness to switch sides.

Belying the claims of his opponents, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has proved his political ability in the last Lok Sabha elections and also in the assembly elections held this year, but he will have to face new challenges in 2026.

While in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Nitish’s party, JD(U), by winning 12 out of 16 seats, proved to be a key ally of the BJP to form the new NDA government at the Centre, the state assembly elections also proved to be another opportunity for him to prove his political skills and relevance. Although JD(U) stood second (85 seats) behind BJP’s 89 seats in the final tally, the NDA’s landslide victory in the assembly elections can largely be attributed to the people’s faith in and affection for their leadership and their pro-women initiatives.

This year’s Bihar elections will be remembered for the victory of the NDA and the powerful combination of JDU chief Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.