Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described the National Democratic Alliance’s sweeping win in the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 as a “powerful expression of trust,” addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters in Delhi. He said the people of Bihar had delivered a historic mandate, reaffirming confidence in the NDA’s governance model.

PM Modi calls verdict a decisive endorsement

Expressing gratitude to voters, the Prime Minister said Bihar had “created history with its overwhelming trust,” stressing that the mandate showed people wanted the NDA to return to power. He added that voters responded to his call for greater participation, helping set new turnout records.

Opposition targeted over ‘Katta Sarkar’

Reiterating his criticism of the opposition, PM Modi said he had repeatedly warned about the return of “Jungle Raj” and what he termed “Katta Sarkar.” He remarked that while these terms drew no objection from one opposition party, they appeared to trouble another. He asserted that Bihar had clearly rejected such governance.

‘Biggest mandate since 2010’

Calling this the strongest mandate in 15 years, he thanked the electorate on behalf of all NDA partners. Modi said the people fulfilled both his appeals: to vote in higher numbers and to elect the alliance decisively.

New ‘MY Formula’: Mahila and Youth

The Prime Minister said some parties attempted to rely on the older caste-based “MY formula,” but the people countered it with a new version — “Mahila and Youth.” He said Bihar’s young population across all communities supported a progressive vision and rejected divisive politics.

Youth backing for clean voter lists

Modi praised the youth for supporting efforts to maintain clean and accurate voter lists. He urged political parties to strengthen booth-level teams nationwide and participate actively in this process.

Victory for democracy and Election Commission

The Prime Minister framed the result as a win for democracy, noting rising voter participation, including in marginalised sections. Recalling earlier challenges in Maoist-affected regions where polling once ended early, he said this election saw enthusiastic voting across the state.

Bihar rejected attempts to undermine institutions

He said the state, known as a cradle of India’s democratic ethos, once again stood against attempts to weaken institutions. Modi remarked that “falsehood loses and public trust wins,” adding that voters would not support leaders facing serious legal issues.

People voting for real social justice

Highlighting what he called a shift in public consciousness, the Prime Minister said the country was now voting for a model of social justice based on opportunity, dignity and equality. He said appeasement politics had faded and had been replaced by a demand for development-driven governance.

Chirag Paswan has delivered one of his strongest electoral performances in Bihar, marking a significant rise for the 43-year-old Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader within the National Democratic Alliance. After negotiating firmly for 29 assembly seats, his party was leading in 19 seats. Earlier, the LJPRV was leading in 22.

The outcome strengthens Chirag’s position in state politics, particularly after his party’s clean sweep in all five Lok Sabha seats it contested last year. For a leader once dismissed as inexperienced following the 2020 Assembly results—when the then-united LJP won just one of over 130 seats—this turnaround marks a notable phase of consolidation.

From setbacks to resurgence

Following the split in the party in 2021 after his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras staked claim to his father Ram Vilas Paswan’s legacy, Chirag faced questions over his political depth. However, he gradually rebuilt the organisation, projecting himself as a ‘Yuva Bihari’ and reinforcing the party’s connect with Dalit communities.

The 2024 Lok Sabha success played a pivotal role in reshaping his image and placed him back in serious contention within the NDA fold. Even though key alliance partners were initially reluctant to offer more than 20 seats, Chirag’s tactical outreach to the Jan Suraaj Party signalled that he could not be sidelined. He eventually secured 29 seats for the 2025 election.

Chirag’s political roadmap

Ahead of the polls, Chirag said he would stake claim to the deputy chief minister’s post while acknowledging that some party workers hoped to see him in the top job. He maintained that the chief minister’s position “was never vacant in 2025”, but added that ambition within the cadre is a positive sign.

He outlined broader plans that extend beyond Bihar, stating that his next political focus would be the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections in 2027, followed by working to ensure a fourth term for the prime minister in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls and then planning forward to 2030.

Days before counting, he also reiterated his loyalty to PM Narendra Modi, dismissing any possibility of switching alliances if results differed from NDA expectations. He emphasised that he remained fully committed to the prime minister and ruled out any alternative political alignment.

As counting progressed on Tuesday morning, the National Democratic Alliance surged ahead in the Bihar Assembly Election 2025, crossing the 160-seat mark within the first few hours. By 10:15 am, the alliance was leading in 162 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan was ahead in 77 constituencies.

Amit Shah’s prediction mirrors early trends

The strong performance closely aligns with remarks made earlier by Home Minister Amit Shah, who had asserted at a public forum that the NDA would secure 160 or more seats with a two-thirds majority. He had reiterated the same forecast days later, dismissing speculation about internal differences within the five-party alliance.

According to him, the NDA partners — JDU, BJP, LJP, HAM and RLM — were contesting together with complete unity. His comment comparing the coalition to the “five Pandavas” reflected his confidence in the alliance’s cohesion.

Exit polls had already favored NDA

Ahead of the counting day, exit polls studied by media had broadly projected a comfortable win for the NDA. While some indicated a closer contest with the Mahagathbandhan, all forecast the Nitish Kumar-led alliance returning to power.

Nitish Kumar’s party regains strength

One of the standout developments of the day has been the resurgence of the JDU. After being overshadowed in 2020 with 43 seats, the party is now on course to win around 74 seats, restoring its dominant position within the alliance.

RJD likely to lose single-largest party status

The Rashtriya Janata Dal, which topped the tally in 2020 with 75 seats, appears set to fall significantly behind this time. Early trends indicate a reversal of fortunes, placing the opposition alliance firmly behind the NDA’s expanding lead.