BIHAR MANDATE: FROM 'IDENTITY POLITICS' TO 'DEVELOPMENTAL IDENTITY'

The 'message, the messenger, and the management' together set a new benchmark for electoral success in the Bihar Assembly elections.

- RAVI RAMESHCHANDRA & PRADYUMAN S KHILERI

Women voters wait in a queue to cast their vote for the second phase of the Bihar assembly election, in Jahanabad on Tuesday. AN

The NDA, led by the Modi-Nitish partnership, achieved a massive victory, securing 202 seats (BJP 89, JD(U) 85, LJPRV 19, HAM(S) 5, and RLM 4). This landslide reaffirmed the people's aspiration for development backed by clean governance, an agenda embodied by CM Nitish Kumar in Bihar and PM Narendra Modi at the national level. Although the RJD secured the highest vote share at 23 percent, it failed to convert these votes into seats, finishing with just 25 seats in 2025.

A striking feature of this election was the behavior of women and older voters. Rising above the traditionally dominant identity politics, they voted decisively in favour of pro-incumbency and governance. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that the outcome represented "the victory of politics of development over caste-driven politics." Bihar, historically the strongest bastion of caste-based electoral behaviour, witnessed a notable shift. The result must also be viewed as recognition of the BJP's strong election machinery and micromanagement, reinforced by the credibility and honesty of Nitish Kumar, who has now been sworn in as CM for the ninth time since 2005. His political maneuvers and coalition strategies continue to demonstrate his enduring relevance in Bihar's tumultuous political environment.