Bihar Chunav Result 2025: Votes are still being counted today following the Bihar Assembly elections. The NDA government in Bihar appears to be returning in power, based on the trends of the election results. It appears that Nitish Kumar will take over as chief minister once more based on the preliminary election results. The opposition Grand Alliance, led by Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Janata Dal-United leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, were the primary contenders in the Bihar election. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) appears to be suffering a significant setback this time as well.
The results of the assembly seats in Raghopur, Mahua, Tarapur, Mokama, Aliganj, Siwan, and Chhapra are being closely watched by the public as the votes are counted. Tejashwi Yadav is far behind in Raghopur. In the Chhapra seat, Khesari Lal Yadav of RJD is currently in the lead. The Janata Dal’s (United) performance has been outstanding this time. Nitish Kumar, the leader of JD(U) and the state’s longest-serving chief minister, appears set to have an opportunity to serve a fifth straight term in such a scenario.
The people of Bihar have clearly rejected the Mahagathbandhan and Tejashwi Yadav, rather than defeated them. After all, how did the party and its leader, who claimed to be fighting on an equal footing until election day, collapse in this manner? Let’s find out why this happened.
Double Standard Backfired
It’s unclear what Tejashwi was attempting to communicate to the “new generation” by downplaying his picture in the posters, despite his support of Lalu’s legacy. This use of a double standard backfired. At a rally in Gopalganj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Tejashwi was concealing Lalu’s offenses. Tejashwi supported Lalu’s social justice cause but kept his distance out of concern over the “jungle raj” stereotype. It was more offensive to confine Lalu to a corner of the posters.
Rejected Caste-Politics
The RJD’s decision to distribute tickets to 52 Yadav candidates contributed significantly to this defeat. This action not only strengthened its casteist image but also alienated non-Yadav voters. Bihar politics is caste-based, with Yadavs (14% of the population) constituting the RJD’s key voter base. However, granting 52 tickets to Yadavs provided the public an indication of Yadav rule. This caused the top castes and the most backward castes to distance themselves from the Grand Alliance. RJD filed candidates for 144 seats, 52 of which were Yadavs, accounting for nearly 36% of total. This figure rose from 40 in 2020 as part of Tejashwi’s “Yadav unity” policy. RJD had secured 143 seats in the Grand Alliance through a seat-sharing deal. While the RJD had tremendous victory in Yadav constituencies, it suffered overall losses.
The BJP used the theme of “RJD’s Yadav Raj,” which appealed to the urban and middle classes. If Tejashwi had limited himself to 30-35 Yadav tickets, the Kurmi-Koeri vote share may have grown by 10-15%, as Akhilesh Yadav did in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He fielded only five Yadav candidates, and the others were won over by the backward and upper castes through their votes.
‘Govt Job for Every Household’ – Voters in Doubt
Tejashwi’s worst failure was making repeated promises but failing to deliver a real plan. While he promised a government job for every household, pensions, women’s empowerment, and a reconsideration of prohibition, voters were doubtful because he could not provide resources, an implementation strategy, or a timetable. He couldn’t give a clear answer to the question of government jobs for every household. He kept insisting that the plan would be available in two days. But even after the elections, that day never came.
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Failure to Maintain ‘Equal Respect’
The most significant mistake in Tejashwi Yadav’s policy was his failure to retain “equal respect” with his allies, the Congress, the Left, and smaller parties. Seat-sharing disagreements harmed the alliance, and Tejashwi’s “RJD-centric” strategy divided the opposition. This restricted vote transfer while simultaneously making the NDA appear “united.” Congress focused on a “guarantee” agenda, but Tejashwi promoted ‘Job Denge’, which irritated voters. Furthermore, Tejashwi marginalized everyone by titling the Grand Alliance’s manifesto “Tejashvi Pranay.” Throughout his campaign, Tejashwi put his allies on the back seat. There were more images of Tejashwi at rallies than of Rahul Gandhi.
Pro-Muslim Image
The Grand Alliance’s “pro-Muslim” image played a significant role in Tejashwi Yadav’s defeat. While the RJD or other Grand Alliance supporters could have won in Muslim-majority constituencies, they suffered losses throughout the state. In numerous regions, the RJD lost votes from the Yadav community. Many Yadavs were dissatisfied with Tejashwi’s promise not to execute the Waqf Bill in Bihar if elected. Lalu Yadav’s statement in Parliament condemning the abuses of the Waqf Bill went viral, benefiting the BJP.
