Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition NDA has managed to scrap through a closely-contested poll for the legislative assembly of Bihar, one of the poorest states in India.
Despite pre-poll predictions about the victory of the opposition Mahagathbandan (Grand Alliance), the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 125 seats in the 243-member assembly. The opposition alliance, led by regional Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and India's main opposition party Congress only managed to get 110 seats, while independents and others got 8 seats.
The results were announced late on Tuesday night by the federal Election Commission of India.
Hailing the victory of the ruling alliance, Prime Minister Modi said each and every voter of Bihar clearly stated their priority was only development.
“Bihar has voted for the good governance of the 15-year rule of NDA, which shows what the dream of Bihar is, what the expectations of Bihar are,” Modi wrote in a tweet in Hindi.
बिहार के प्रत्येक वोटर ने साफ-साफ बता दिया कि वह आकांक्षी है और उसकी प्राथमिकता सिर्फ और सिर्फ विकास है। बिहार में 15 साल बाद भी NDA के सुशासन को फिर आशीर्वाद मिलना यह दिखाता है कि बिहार के सपने क्या हैं, बिहार की अपेक्षाएं क्या हैं।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 10, 2020
The BJP has now become the largest partner in the NDA-led State with 74 seats; State Chief Nitish Kumar’s regional Janata Dal (United) party secured only 43 seats.
Though BJP had announced Kumar would lead the government, there were indications that it might reconsider the decision in view of its majority in the coalition.
“PM Modi's image sailed us through (this election)," said Kailash Vijayvargiya, National General Secretary of BJP after the announcement of results.
Amongst the parties, RJD, led by scandal-tainted Lalu Prasad Yadav, emerged as the single largest party, with 75 seats. But its main alliance partner, the national opposition Congress party could manage only 19 seats, while three communist parties together accrued 16 seats.
