Landslide victory for NDA, Mahagathbandhan crashes

VOTE SHARE TILT — BJP 20.08%, JD(U) 19.25% VS RJD 23%, CONGRESS 8.71%

- VINAY KUMAR

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Friday secured a historic, landslide victory in Bihar, surging past the 200 mark in the 243-member Assembly.

The 2025 Assembly elections in Bihar witnessed a meticulously crafted campaign built on good governance, stability, and inclusivity. The projection of the “double-engine” government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar resonated strongly with voters. As voter turnout figures showed, women outvoted men and, perhaps, became one of the decisive factors behind the NDA’s unprecedented victory.

The NDA juggernaut left the Mahagathbandhan crumbling like a pack of cards, with even Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav managing to win his home seat of Raghopur in a flip-flop battle by a margin of 14532 votes.

While the NDA surpassed its 2020 tally of 122 seats, the Mahagathbandhan won 35 seats, and Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party failed to open its account. The Congress suffered its worst-ever performance, winning just six seats. The CPI(ML) won two, and the CPM posted victory in one seat.

Alongside record participation by women and youth, the NDA benefited from near-perfect political engineering.

The BJP and JD(U) improved their vote shares despite contesting fewer seats, signalling tighter booth-level coordination and resilience against incumbency. The BJP's vote share rose to 20.08 per cent from 19.46 per cent in 2020, though it fielded candidates in only 101 constituencies compared to 110 earlier.

The JD(U) recorded one of the most significant gains, jumping to 19.25 per cent from 15.39 per cent in 2020, while contesting 101 seats compared to 115 previously.