Watching the victory celebrations for the monumental landslide victory of the NDA in the Bihar elections at the BJP headquarters, I had an epiphany. You can’t play around with the dignity of the people—insulting the intelligence of the electorate doesn’t go down well. And it results in a resounding slap on the face by way of an election rout, the kind faced by the ubiquitous Mahagathbandhan and the Jan Suraaj Party in Bihar.
The people of Bihar have exercised their agency with quiet dignity. They discarded caste politics and the M–Y (Muslim–Yadav) axis that had them bound to a particular ideology. Instead, they have rewritten the M–Y formula to suit their own voice—mahila and yuva voice—by voting for progress, law and order, development, and gender parity. The voice of the state is loud and clear; Viksit and Surakshit Bihar is the call of the day. Modi hai to mumkin hai (If there is Modi, anything is possible).
Let us analyse the reasons for the resounding win and the NDA’s 202-seat tally in Bihar. The BJP was the single largest party at 89 seats, followed by Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) at 86. The INC had a paltry six, and Prashant Kishor’s party failed to open their account with a Golden Duck. Prime Minister Modi called this win a victory of social justice and democracy, stating that the NDA had replaced tushtikaran (policy of appeasement) with santushtikaran (satisfaction). It is now more than clear that the people of Bihar are nobody’s fools and have rejected the negativity surrounding the Gandhi siblings. They have said “tata bye bye” to the politics of caste and appeasement.
Vote for development and progress
In 2017, Modi had slammed Lalu Prasad Yadav for the lack of road development in Bihar.
“Some people used to say roads are meant for those who have cars, and not the poor. No one has damaged the country as much as these people with distorted mentality,” Modi said.
The people of Bihar have thrown out the ‘visionaries’ whose vision was for a Bihar mired in poverty and despair. Nitin Gadkari’s promise of America–type highways has ignited the aspirations of the people. From 2005 to 2025, the length of National Highways in Bihar doubled from 3,639 km to 6,147; State Highways increased from 2,382 km to 3,638 km, and Major District Roads (MDR) went from 8,457 km to 16,296 km. Now, people can aspire to travel in cars, and with road access, even the poor can travel by road.
Appeal to Bihari pride
In January 2024, Karpoori Thakur, the first Non-Congress socialist leader from Bihar, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. He was known as Jan Nayak for his unwavering commitment to social upliftment. He was a progressive leader who implemented the Karpoori Formula for proportional reservation in order to benefit the underrepresented.
The people of Bihar turned this recognition into a vote for the NDA and allies.
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Birthplace of socialist leaders
PM Modi recognises the legacy of socialist leaders from Bihar, such as Jayaprakash Narayan, whose invaluable contribution to the history and development of India seems to have been forgotten by our youth. He had the “inimitable distinction” of being an active participant in three mass movements in the country, including the Quit India movement, the ‘Bhudan’ movement, and the movement against corruption in Independent India.
To Narayan goes the credit for bringing all non-Congress parties under a collective umbrella of the Janata Party, the predecessor of Bharatiya Janata Party in 1977. These progressive, educated leaders have often been neglected and ignored by the elitist Congress.
End of Jungle Raj
The term ‘Jungle Raj’ is a metaphor for the complete breakdown of law and order and governance in Bihar during the Lalu Prasad–Rabri Devi era of 1990-2005. It was coined by the Patna High Court way back in 1997 during an oral observation on the state of civic conditions in Patna.
The period was marked with rampant crime, ransom raj, caste politics, nepotism in bureaucracy, governance collapse, and political patronage of criminals. The return of Jungle Raj was clearly ‘returned to pavilion’ by the people of Bihar, who used the ballot box to bat for a crime free, progressive future.
It is time to leave the field open to batters such as Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan, who will lead the state to progress and prosperity. The loss of the MGB alliance could also be attributed to the reflection of Tejashwi Yadav’s political convoy of 50-plus vehicles with gun-toting extremist youth, reminiscent of the heydays of Jungle Raj. Bihar’s youth are not interested in this kind of political clout.
Chhathi Maiya as cultural representation of India
Chhath Puja is one of the few Hindu festivals celebrated without idols; it is a festival of simplicity and celebrates nature at its most powerful through the worship of the Sun. There has been a cultural revolution recognising the importance of this ancient festival and its significance in the Hindu faith. It’s a renaissance taking Hindus back to nature.
Expat Biharis are also taking pride in the resurgence of a festival that is close to their roots, especially among the Indian-origin diaspora in the Caribbean, Mauritius, and Fiji. Chhathi Maiya has become an icon of community spirit and egalitarian practice, honouring the roots of Bihar through cultural integration.
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Viksit, Surakshit Bihar
Development in Bihar is growing by leaps and bounds under Kumar and the NDA alliance. Katta Raj has been demolished. Modi has promised to take Bihar’s makhana to global markets. His infrastructure push has seen many new mega bridges spanning across the Ganga at different locations. The Patna metro and the Patna–Gaya highway are infrastructural projects launched by the NDA. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has resulted in over 60 lakh housing units for the poor. There is a visible shift from the ground level, and the people have voted for a developed, secure Bihar.
M for mahila
The NDA has provided a safe atmosphere for women in Bihar by doing away with the katta sarkar. A woman-centric election poll plank was announced, and women have happily and enthusiastically voted for a state free of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.
The Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana aims to empower women through self-employment and livelihood opportunities. One woman from each family in the state will receive a financial award of Rs 10,000 via direct transfer, with the possibility of further financial support. Reservations for women in local bodies, jobs, and initial seed capital of Rs 10,000 for women-led startups are other benefits that won over women voters.
Women have outnumbered men at the polling booth with a whopping 71.6 per cent of women casting their ballot, nine points above the 62.8 per cent turnout of men.
SIR and EVM
Every time the Congress loses an election under the able leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the ghost of the paper ballot system is resurrected from the dead like a holy spectre. Yet we have forgotten the days of booth capturing, poll-related anarchy, violence, and goonda raj, which went along with the paper ballot system.
“Results truly surprising, polls were unfair” was the Gandhi scion’s statement, rather than conducting an introspection on the poll debacle, since Congress contested 61 seats and won only six.
It is apparent that the voters in Bihar don’t want dynastic politics, minority politics, and certainly not caste politics, all three dead ducks flogged by the Congress Party in their regressive, divisionary, and divisive game. The SIR was an election housekeeping project mandated by the Constitution, and the Opposition has found a new scapegoat to divert attention from the debacle that is their coalition.
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Youth voice
The Gen Z in Bihar have been concerned about unemployment, poverty, and their future, especially after youth protests in neighbouring Nepal and Bangladesh. Gandhi has been constantly ‘inspiring’ Gen Z and urging them to take his allegations ‘seriously’.
Bihar’s youth, however, have opted to register their protest by voting for change and development, and by voting out Jungle Raj. The youth have voted for better education, development, and employment opportunities. Kumar has promised to create 1 crore jobs in the state.
The NDA tsunami has been brought to power on the votes of the women, youth, and farmers.
Bihar has reposed its confidence in the Constitution, and it is high time we move away from the regressive caste politics of yore. Bad blood and bad mouthing don’t go well with people.
India Today’s data shows that as of 2024, nearly 9 per cent of IAS officers come from Bihar. Let us not insult the intelligence of our Bihari brethren by assuming that they can’t scope out what’s right and wrong. There is no ‘Vote Chori’ in Bihar; only dil ki chori.
Meenakashi Lekhi is a BJP leader, lawyer and social activist. Her X handle is @M_Lekhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)