This election is a thank you note to Nitish Babu from a grateful Bihari people, notes Sheela Bhatt.
That the National Democratic Alliance would win the 2025 Bihar assembly election was a given.
Still, the results are surprising because of the NDA's scale of victory. Nobody thought it will be such a massive victory.
1. Ten thousand rupees in the accounts of women voters created the plinth to build the election campaign for the NDA. Women voters did wonders for the NDA.
Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, both, have a 'double engine' political strategy to focus on women voters. The results are here to see.
2. Chirag Paswan joined the NDA. He had contested the 2020 assembly election on his own, cutting into the votes of the NDA, especially the Janata Dal-United.
This election, his presence helped the NDA -- Dalit Paswan votes were added to the JD-U's Extremely Backward Classes and Other Backward Classes votes plus the BJP's upper caste votes.
The Mushahar, the poorest of poor voters led by Jiten Ram Majhi of the Hindustani Awam Manch, Paswan voters to Brahmin and Bhumihar voters and in-between all shades of OBC voters formed the NDA election umbrella except Yadav and Muslim voters who stayed with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and other members of the Mahagathbandan.
How could the NDA not win?
This was massive counter-polarisation against the Yadav plus Muslim polarisation behind the RJD.
This was the Mahagathbandan's precise failed strategy.
The Mahagathbandhan of all castes in Bihar society except the Yadavs and Muslims were on the NDA's side. That culminated in a massive mandate for the NDA.
Also, the Delhi bomb blast, which occurred the night before Bihar went to the polls on November 11 (the second phase of the election) may have led some voters to vote for the NDA.
3. It is absolutely wrong to say, as some 'experts' did, that Bihar had two options: Change or continuity.
No!
Bihar's voters saw that Nitish Kumar had delivered on providing electricity and road connectivity.
And, of course, greatly improved law and order in the state. Even though it was disrupted by prohibition, which brought back local goonda raj.
But the voters think Bihar is at the 'under construction' stage, at last.
Biharis want more and more. Mainly better health and education facilities.
So, people went to the polling booths with the hope of the next phase of transformation.
A change in government in Bihar for NDA voters would have meant the end of the good changes that Nitish Kumar had brought in.
4. Nitish Kumar proved to be the master of the game. Despite his frail health he remains the only credible Bihari leader.
People like Nitish Kumar because he portrays perfectly the asmita of Bihar.
He has no family to favour, no dynastic tendencies, no taint of corruption, no anti-Muslim rhetorical politics.
His political stage could accommodate all.
He carries good memories of Bihar's struggle for social justice.
He lifted Bihar from the worst kind of social mess after the Lalu-Rabri years in power. He didn't alienate people by intemperate pronouncements. He worked silently.
This election is a thank you note to Nitish Babu from a grateful Bihari people.
5. Bihar won't be the same again. Bihar is on the way to becoming more saffron. Seemanchal will be the new political ground. The issue of expected changes in demography raised by the RSS will dominate Bihar politics from now on.
The NDA's victory in Bihar is the beginning of the BJPisation of Bihar.
Nitish Babu will slowly retire and with a fantastic record. He has proved his mettle and his firm place in the history of 21st century Bihar.
Over to the BJP.
© 2025