Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Bihar 2025: NDA’s landslide victory redefines state politics and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
The year 2025 will be remembered by the Opposition as one of the most disturbing periods in Bihar’s political history, while for the ruling NDA it will be seen as a trendsetting year with the potential to significantly influence national politics in the near future.
The 2025 Assembly elections proved a major setback for the RJD, which had emerged as the single largest party in 2020 but was reduced to just 25 seats, barely retaining the status of the principal Opposition party in the House. The Congress was reduced to six seats, the CPI(ML) managed to win four, and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) failed to open its account.
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In contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior BJP leaders, along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, built a narrative that the Opposition failed to counter. As a result, the NDA returned to power with a sweeping majority, and Nitish Kumar became the chief minister of Bihar for a record tenth time.
The 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections were not merely a contest of victory and defeat or a change of power. Rather, it emerged as a major test of the credibility of democratic institutions, the growing influence of digital politics, and the evolving nature of traditional social equations as well.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar left a significant impact on the state’s politics. The Opposition accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of conducting the SIR in haste to benefit the ruling NDA, alleging that several new provisions were added which caused hardship to the public. The Opposition approached the Supreme Court, demanding the withdrawal of the SIR process. However, legally, the SIR was conducted in Bihar and has since been extended to other states.
Questions were also raised about the functioning of the Election Commission. The latest controversy involved former Chief Minister of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi, who admitted that during the 2020 elections he had influenced the election results by instructing the district magistrate.
During the elections, violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) were also alleged. On the day of polling, Rs 10,000 was transferred into the bank accounts of voters. Despite multiple complaints submitted by the Opposition to the Election Commission, none have received a response to date.
The election campaign witnessed extensive use of AI-generated content, deepfake videos, and manipulated reels. Allegations were made that public opinion was influenced through fake content, leading to increased demands for stricter regulations on online political campaigning.
In the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the Jan Suraaj Party fielded candidates in 238 constituencies. Although the party failed to win any seats, it influenced the electoral outcome by cutting votes in nearly 35 constituencies and emerged as a strong third political alternative in Bihar’s political landscape.
The BJP’s strong performance in the Assembly elections also resulted in the emergence of a young and dynamic leader, Nitin Nabin, as the party’s National Executive President, a development expected to have a significant impact on the state’s politics as well.