Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are rejoicing after his alliance achieved a historic victory in Bihar.
The BJP-led coalition swept the polls, winning 202 out of 243 seats in the state assembly. Modi described the outcome as not only a triumph for his alliance “but for democracy itself”.
The election followed a disputed revision of voter lists, which the opposition claimed would disenfranchise genuine voters and favor the BJP — a claim denied by both the party and the Election Commission. Voting took place on November 6 and 11, with turnout reaching 66.91%, the highest since Bihar’s first election in 1951, according to the commission.
Exit polls had already forecast a win for the BJP alliance, which includes Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) as its key partner. JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, the outgoing chief minister, currently governs the state alongside the BJP. Their main challenger was a coalition of the Congress party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and several smaller groups.
BJP leaders celebrated the victory and expressed gratitude to Bihar’s voters, while the opposition has yet to respond.
The Bihar election is seen as a prelude to major contests next year in West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu — states where the BJP has struggled to gain ground. Bihar, home to over 74 million voters and considered India’s poorest state, has long been a place where Modi’s party has not managed to govern independently.
The BJP declared on X: “Bihar’s mandate is clear! The people have made it clear – now development is the identity. Not jungle raj, good governance is needed!”
This win marks a significant turnaround for Modi, who lost his parliamentary majority in last year’s national elections and had to rely on allies to stay in power. Since then, the BJP has steadily regained momentum, securing victories in several key states.
Analysts point to Modi’s September initiative—transferring 75 billion rupees ($853 million) to millions of women under an employment scheme—as a decisive factor in Bihar. Women voters, who have increasingly outnumbered men at polling stations over the past decade, played a crucial role.
Political analyst Amitabh Tiwari, who observed the election across Bihar, remarked it was “just the women” who were poised to deliver Modi a stronger result than before. A survey by his VoteVibe agency found that Modi’s alliance captured 48.5% of the female vote, more than 10 percentage points ahead of the opposition bloc.
Next year, states such as Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu will hold elections. Of these, the BJP currently governs only Assam.
