Bihar Verdict 2025: NDA Returns to Power with Record-Breaking Mandate

Bihar has delivered its verdict, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to return to power with a decisive mandate—“phir ek baar, with 200 paar.” The alliance is poised to surpass its 2010 benchmark of 206 seats, marking one of the strongest electoral performances in the state’s recent history. The results brought sweeping victories for some and heavy setbacks for others. Here is a detailed look at the major winners and losers of Bihar’s high-stakes 2025 assembly elections.

WINNERS

1. Nitish Kumar

JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar emerges as the biggest political victor of 2025, successfully countering nearly 20 years of anti-incumbency and voter fatigue. His party has posted significant gains, leading in over 80 seats, contributing to the NDA crossing the 200-seat mark in the 243-member assembly.

The outcome has once again halted Tejashwi Yadav’s ascent. Despite gaining momentum in 2020 as the leader of the single largest party, Tejashwi’s “youth vs experience” narrative fell flat, reaffirming Nitish Kumar’s enduring political relevance.

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The results reaffirm Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unmatched national pull. Despite local anti-incumbency against the state leadership, voters clearly separated state-level dissatisfaction from Modi’s national image and voted strongly for “Modi ki guarantee.” Welfare schemes built a solid beneficiary base that rallied behind the NDA.

With the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 89 seats, Bihar has once again demonstrated Modi’s powerful vote-transferability as the party looks ahead to 2029.

3. Chirag Paswan

Chirag Paswan has staged one of the most remarkable comebacks of this election. After managing only one seat in 2020 despite a 6% vote share, his LJP (Ram Vilas) converted its influence into decisive gains, winning 22 of the 29 seats it contested.

His appeal among Dalits and young voters, along with his calibrated return to the NDA, has elevated him from a disruptive force in 2020 to an influential power broker in 2025.

4. Women Voters

Women voters were among the most decisive forces of this election. For the first time, female turnout surpassed male turnout—72% compared to 63%. In several districts, women outnumbered men by over 10–20 percentage points.

High engagement with welfare schemes, especially the ₹10,000 Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, along with long-term mobilisation through Jeevika SHGs and Panchayati Raj representation, positioned women as the true kingmakers of Bihar 2025.

5. Asaduddin Owaisi

While AIMIM has not secured a significant number of seats, Asaduddin Owaisi stands out as a strategic winner. Leading in five constituencies in the Muslim-majority Seemanchal region, his party proved once again that it can decisively influence close contests.

AIMIM contested 29 seats—24 of which were in Seemanchal—establishing its continued relevance in the state’s electoral arithmetic.

LOSERS

6. Tejashwi Yadav

Tejashwi Yadav faces a major reversal in political fortunes. Contesting as the opposition’s chief ministerial face, he failed to capitalise on anti-incumbency and saw the RJD leading in only 29 seats—its second-worst performance since 2010.

He was unable to expand beyond the RJD’s traditional MY (Muslim–Yadav) base, and the strong 2020 narrative positioning him as Bihar’s emerging leader has been significantly weakened.

7. Rahul Gandhi

The results are a setback for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, which has once again dropped to single digits. High-profile campaigns—including the “vote chori” allegations and voter rights initiatives—failed to resonate with the electorate.

With Congress performing poorly in both 2020 and now 2025, the perception that the party adds limited electoral value to alliances in the Hindi heartland has only strengthened.

8. Prashant Kishor

Former strategist Prashant Kishor entered the election as a political aspirant but exits as one of its biggest losers. Despite extensive groundwork through his Jan Suraaj padyatra, the party failed to translate visibility into votes.

His development-focused message struggled to find space in a contest dominated by Nitish Kumar’s governance plank, Tejashwi’s social-justice appeal, and the NDA’s welfare narrative. His last-minute withdrawal from several seats further hurt his credibility.

9. Mukesh Sahani

Vyapam Mukesh Sahani, projected as the Mahagathbandhan’s deputy CM face, delivered a disappointing performance. Despite targeted appeals to the Mallah–Nishad community, his party failed to secure meaningful gains.

Repeated alliance shifts and credibility concerns appear to have pushed a significant portion of the Nishad vote toward the NDA.

10. The INDIA Bloc

The INDIA bloc emerges as the biggest organisational casualty of the Bihar elections. Seat-sharing disputes, lack of coordination and absence of a unified narrative deeply undermined its campaign.

With Congress underperforming and RJD unable to build beyond its core base, the alliance lagged behind the NDA’s strong organisational machinery and welfare-oriented messaging. The results underscore the coalition’s diminishing cohesion and electoral influence.