New Delhi, November 14, 2025: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition is poised to comfortably retain power in Bihar, according to vote counts released Friday, providing a significant boost after last year’s disappointing national elections.
Winning Bihar is strategically important: it is India’s third-most-populous state with nearly 130 million people and sends the fifth-highest number of lawmakers to Parliament. Control of the eastern state strengthens a party’s influence in the Hindi heartland and helps shape national political narratives.
Data from the Election Commission of India shows Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leading in more than 170 seats, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 122 seats. NDTV reported the coalition ahead in 191 seats, a potential gain of 69 seats compared to the last election.
“Bihar’s mandate is clear!” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on X. “The people have made it clear — now development is the identity. Not jungle raj; good governance is needed!”
The Bihar outcome signals a sharp reversal for Modi, who lost his parliamentary majority in last year’s national elections and relied on coalition allies to remain in power. Since then, the BJP has steadily regained ground, winning several key state contests.
Political analysts credit a major factor in the Bihar results to Modi’s September transfer of 75 billion rupees ($853 million) to millions of women under a state employment programme. Women voters, who have increasingly turned out in higher numbers over the past decade, were decisive in giving Modi a strong edge.
Amitabh Tiwari, a political analyst who monitored the Bihar election, said, “It was just the women who were set to give Modi a better result than what he received last time.” His survey conducted via the VoteVibe agency showed the NDA securing 48.5% of the female vote, more than 10 percentage points ahead of the main opposition bloc.
The Bihar polls were conducted in two phases, on November 6 and 11. Looking ahead, other states including Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu will go to the polls next year, with the BJP currently in power only in Assam.
