SRINAGAR: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a decisive victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, winning 202 of the 243 seats and paving the way for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to retain office for a fifth consecutive term. Kumar now extends his position as the state’s longest-serving chief minister.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav won the Raghopur seat by more than 11,000 votes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi following the emphatic win, thanked the people of Bihar for their strong participation and faith in the democratic process. He lauded the Election Commission for conducting the polls efficiently and said the mandate marked the beginning of a “new era” of development in the state.
In a sharp criticism of the Congress, the Prime Minister said the party lacked a constructive vision for the country, describing it as a liability for its allies. He added that Bihar would witness accelerated progress over the next five years under the NDA government.
Early trends confirmed the coalition had surpassed its 2020 performance, when it had secured 122 seats. The Mahagathbandhan was ahead in only 33 constituencies, while Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj failed to win any seat.
Other key candidates in the fray included Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, JJD’s Tej Pratap, and Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar.
Vote counting began at 8 am yesterday, following elections held November 6 and 11, which saw a record turnout of 67.13 per cent. Most exit polls had forecast a sweeping victory for the NDA, although Tejashwi Yadav had rejected these projections and claimed the opposition alliance would win comfortably.
