BJP Leads in 95 Seats, NDA Crosses Majority Mark Without Nitish Kumar
The Bihar Assembly elections have delivered a dramatic shift in the state’s political landscape, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossing the halfway mark and securing over 122 seats—notably without veteran leader Nitish Kumar playing a central role. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the single largest party, leading in 95 of the 101 seats it contested, marking one of its strongest performances in the state.
LJP(R) Surges with Strong Debut
Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has made a striking impact in its electoral debut under the new banner, securing leads in 21 of the 28 seats it contested. The strong showing has strengthened the NDA’s overall tally and expanded its support base across multiple regions.
RLSP and HAM Add to NDA Strength
The NDA’s other allies have also performed significantly well.
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Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP is leading in 4 seats,
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Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM is ahead in 5 seats.
Together, the four-party coalition has comfortably surpassed the 122-seat majority threshold required in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, positioning itself to form the next government.
Nitish Kumar Not Projected as CM Candidate
In a major departure from previous elections, Nitish Kumar was not projected as the chief ministerial face of the NDA. BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal stated that the chief minister would be chosen on the basis of democratic consensus within the alliance, and the party securing the highest number of seats—in this case the BJP—naturally stands in the leading position to claim the top post.
Mahagathbandhan Flounders with Only 30 Seats
The Mahagathbandhan, comprising the RJD, Congress, and allied parties, has faced a steep setback, securing leads in only 30 seats. Following his defection to the opposition in 2022, Nitish Kumar now finds himself politically isolated, lacking both coalition support and the numbers required to form a government.
The current mandate underscores a sweeping realignment in Bihar’s political scene, marked by the BJP’s ascendancy and a diminishing influence of traditional power players.