HOW BIHAR TIPPED THE SCALES

THE narrative surrounding the recent Bihar assembly election has been constructed in several overlapping ways.

- SAJJAN KUMAR

SAJJAN KUMAR Political analyst and founding director of PRACCIS

It has been interpreted as an expression of gratitude to, and trust in, a leader who is perceived to deliver on promises; as evidence of women emerging as anchors of voting decisions in poor households; and as a demonstration of how a tone of masculine arrogance can weaken emotional connect with voters. Across these different readings lies one clear lesson for the political class: admiration does not automatically translate into endorsement, especially among an electorate as politically attuned as Bihar's.

The verdict itself has left little ambiguity. The NDA increased its tally dramatically, from 125 seats in 2020 to an emphatic 202. By contrast, the Mahagathbandhan suffered its worst performance since 2010, finishing with just 35 seats. These headline numbers are striking enough, but the real clarity emerges when the mandate is broken down regionally. A closer look at the five principal regions of Bihar shows how differently each area responded to the two competing alliances, rewarding some strategies while punishing others. As with the rivers that mark many of their boundaries, each region flowed in a particular direction.