Tejashwi Yadav - the Mahagathbandhan’s Bihar chief ministerial face - has failed the litmus test in Bihar.
The Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance is poised to make a roaring return to power, with around 200 seats in the 243-member Assembly. That's way beyond the simple majority mark of 122 needed to form the government.
As of 4 pm, ECI trends showed the BJP and JD(U), along with Chirag Paswan-led LJP (RV), collectively leading in 195 seats. The NDA is on track to better its 2020 vote share by nearly 10 percentage points.
Political analysts credit the spectacular win to the Nitish magic, specifically his sway over women voters. Remember, the voting percentage among women was 71.6% in the 2025 Assembly elections, nearly 9 percentage points more than men.
Bihar voters also seem to have bought into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of a double-engine sarkar. Chirag Paswan's party too pulled its weight leading in about 20 of the 28 seats it contested in.
In contrast, the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan is struggling to match its previous tally, with less than 50 seats. Tejashwi's jobs promise seems to have fallen short. Even voters seem to understand that one government job for every household might be a stretch.
And as predicted by the BJP, the Congress has failed to deliver the expected strike rate to help Former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son secure the CM’s chair.
