NDA SCRIPTS GRAND BLOC BUSTER

Ruling alliance bags commanding two-thirds majority in historic sweep, BJP is largest party INDIA bloc slumps to 35 seats; RJD posts worst performance in 15 years, Congress wins only 6 Cash transfer, welfare, smart campaign buoy NDA; no resonance for Oppn’s anti-SIR tirade Prashant Kishor’s party fails to open account in bipolar contest with little anti-incumbency

- Dhrubo Jyoti

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) scored a chartbusting victory in Bihar on Friday as it swept India’s third-most populous state and decimated the Opposition's Grand Alliance, reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and grabbing the momentum fora clutch of crucial state polls next summer.

The five-party alliance beat back two decades of anti-incumbency using a cocktail of cash transfers for women, welfare outreach, smart campaigning and chief minister Nitish Kumar’s longstanding goodwill among marginalised castes to post a historic victory - its best showing since 2010. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) posted its highest vote share and second-highest seat share in the only north Indian state it has never had a chief minister in. Kumar is set to be sworn ina record 10th time, and for a consecutive fifth term.

Key ally Janata Dal (United) utilised its base among women and Kumar's legacy of corruption-free governance to record its best performance in 15 years, silencing critics who had sounded doom for the regional stalwart after a diffident showing five years ago. Other partners such as the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha, too, turned in stellar performances, turning an assured victory into a two-thirds landslide - only the second time in history that the NDA has crossed 200 in Bihar.

“Good governance has won. Development has won. Pro-people spirit has won. Social justice has won. Gratitude to each and every person of Bihar for blessing the NDA with a historic and unparalleled victory,” Modi said on X.