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New Delhi: As vote counting enters its final stages, the NDA is headed for a sweeping victory while the opposition Mahagathbandhan appears set for a shocking collapse. Here are the key winners and losers emerging from the Bihar election verdict.
1. Nitish Kumar-PM Modi partnership
Despite a turbulent political history, the Modi–Nitish partnership has emerged as one of the election’s biggest winners.
- Nitish became CM again despite JD(U)’s 43-seat collapse in 2020.
- In 2025, JD(U) is set to almost double its tally, while BJP remains the largest NDA partner.
- Seat-sharing parity (101–101) shows Nitish’s bargaining strength.
- BJP leaders have already backed him as CM again.
Modi remains the star campaigner, but in Bihar, the NDA still needs Nitish. And Nitish once again proved why he remains the alliance’s irreplaceable face.
2. Chirag Paswan
Written off after the 2020 split in the Lok Janshakti Party, Chirag Paswan has staged a stunning comeback.
- Swept all six Lok Sabha seats in 2024.
- Now leading in 19 assembly seats — his best-ever performance.
- Crucially, LJP(RV) facilitated strong vote transfer to NDA allies — something it failed at in 2020.
- His demand for 40+ seats, once mocked, now looks justified.
From being dismissed as a "spoiler" in 2020, Chirag is now a major NDA pillar, and possibly the alliance's biggest youth icon in Bihar.
3. Jitan Ram Manjhi
The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief is emerging as a quiet winner.
- Settled for 6 seats but is leading in 5.
- Strengthens his leverage in negotiations for ministries and MLC berths.
- Falls short of state-party status but gains strategic relevance within NDA.
Fewer seats, but nearly all won, a big victory for Manjhi's political credibility.
1. Tejashwi Yadav
The biggest loser of the election may be Tejashwi Yadav himself.
- At one stage, he was trailing in his own family bastion.
- Mahagathbandhan shrank to barely 30–34 seats.
RJD's MY base collapsed:
- 50 Yadav candidates poor strike rate
- 18 Muslim candidates votes spread to Left & AIMIM
- RJD relied on MY consolidation; voters didn't.
Tejashwi bet on old formulas in a state that has changed. The result: RJD’s worst performance in years.
2. Prashant Kishor
Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj made a high-decibel entry into Bihar politics. The results, however, were brutal.
- Contested 238 seats, won 0, and wasn’t leading anywhere.
- Early leads in a few places evaporated quickly.
- His prediction, "less than 10 or more than 150 seats", came true only in the worst possible way.
PK the strategist succeeded in India; PK the politician failed to take off in Bihar.
3. Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi’s campaign once again failed to resonate with Bihar’s electorate.
- His 16-day Voter Adhikar Yatra didn’t move voters.
- Focused mainly on "vote chori" and SIR, not Bihar's core issues.
- Congress is trailing behind the Left and AIMIM, a major embarrassment.
Messaging mismatch:
- Tejashwi talked jobs and governance.
- Rahul stayed on national accusations.
Rahul's disconnect with ground realities in Bihar continues, and the polling booth has said it louder than analysts.
