NEW DELHI: Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi — and now Bihar.What should have been a comeback moment for the Congress-led INDIA bloc instead turned into a rout.Bihar has delivered the harshest blow yet. With the Nitish Kumar–led NDA storming past the 200-seat mark and the Congress slipping to one of its most disappointing performances in the state, the INDIA bloc’s brief post-Lok Sabha momentum has abruptly evaporated, pulling the coalition back to political reality.‘Misa-Priyanka Ko Dickey Mein…’: Yashwant Deshmukh’s Message to RJD–Cong After NDA’s Bihar WinNDA won 202 seats out of the 243-member assembly, reducing the Rashtriya Janata Dal to a historical low and Congress to single digits. This comes down to Congress’ tactical, not strategic, electoral marriages with regional parties, which often lead to chaos and confusion in the run-up to the elections.What happened in Bihar?Alliance without alignmentIn the run-up to the Bihar elections, the Mahagathbandhan allies hit their first roadblock over the seat-sharing deal. While the NDA, despite all the infighting, reached a deal, the RJD, Congress, VIP and Left parties failed to decide on seat allotment even till the eve of the first phase of the elections.In at least 11 constituencies, allies within the Mahagathbandhan — the RJD, Congress, CPI and VIP — found themselves pitted against each other, leading to what were described as “friendly fights” but which in reality ended up splitting the opposition vote.These contests, spread across Vaishali, Kahalgaon, Narkatiaganj and several other seats, reveal how coordination failures and local ambitions undermined the alliance’s broader effort to challenge the BJP-led NDA’s dominance in the state.Interestingly, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – key partner of INDIA bloc from Jharkhand” withdrew from the Bihar contest after a stalemate over its seat-sharing deal with the INDIA bloc. “Unfortunately, JMM won’t be part of the Bihar polls despite my intentions and plans. This is only because of RJD’s ‘political’ immaturity,” JMM leader Sudivya Kumar had said after the impasse.Rahul’s Bihar missLeader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi once again proved to be a flop show in the Bihar assembly election. The Congress leader’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, which he rolled out just days ahead of the election, did not prove to be a trump card.Additionally, his repeated attacks on the Election Commission and charges of “vote theft” proved to be irrelevant in Bihar politics.Following his yatra, Rahul Gandhi remained largely absent and returned to the campaign trail only on 29 October. Gandhi’s absence has become a significant issue amid a crisis within the party’s ranks, with many leaders alleging discrepancies in the distribution of tickets.Meanwhile, overwhelming women voters’ participation tilted the mandate toward the NDA, boosted by welfare schemes for women. One of the most talked-about schemes before the election was Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana — Rs 10,000 assistance for women wanting to start small enterprises.Women voters took the lead in what the Election Commission of India described as Bihar’s highest-ever voter turnout, with 71.6 per cent of female electors casting their ballots compared to 62.8 per cent of men. In the first phase of voting, 69.04 per cent of women turned out to vote, well above the 61.56 per cent male turnout.The trend strengthened in the second phase, when 74.03 per cent of women voters exercised their franchise, again surpassing the 64.1 per cent turnout among men. Overall, Bihar recorded a 66.91 per cent voter turnout — the highest since the state’s first elections in 1951 — with women driving the surge in participation.The Seemanchal splitThe Mahagathbandhan’s dilemma over partnering with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM in Seemanchal also proved to be costly for the opposition alliance, as the fight between AIMIM and the Mahagathbandhan benefitted the NDA in the region. While AIMIM managed five seats in the region, the Mahagathbandhan was reduced to only nine seats.AIMIM leader Waris Pathan claimed that “RJD and the Congress are themselves responsible for the division of minority votes.”He further said that the opposition alliance was given an opportunity to come together “by seeking only six seats from the Mahagathbandhan, but they refused”.No cadre for CongressIn the run-up to the elections, cracks within the Congress Bihar unit also resurfaced. Rebel Congress leaders, including several MLAs, staged protests for being denied tickets.These leaders demanded the immediate replacement of the party’s Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru with a ‘political’ person.After the Bihar polls, the next challenges for INDIA alliance awaits in the form of West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu assembly election. Now, it will be interesting to see how the opposition bloc.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosNDA Sweeps Bihar, Nitish Kumar Prepares for 10th CM Oath; A Look Back at ‘Sushasan Babu’s’ JourneyPiyush Goyal Says India Ready For WTO Leadership, Rejects Reform Agendas Pushed By Developed NationsJ&K Police Confirm 9 Killed in Nowgam Blast After Explosives Recovered From Faridabad Blows UpPM Modi Predicts Major Congress Split After NDA’s Bihar Win And Warns Allies Of Growing Instability‘Bengal Is Far-Fetched…’ Bengal Minister Shashi Panja Hits Back at PM Modi’s Jungle Raj Jibe‘Very Bleak Message To World’: South Africa Envoy Condemns Delhi Blast And Seeks Joint Action“All options open…” Piyush Goyal on ongoing India-Canada talks after two rounds of discussionsUN Must Reform Now: India Demands Expansion of Both Permanent And Non-Permanent UNSC Member StatesDeadly Explosion At Nowgam Station Exposes Scale Of 360 Kg Urban Terror Cache Seized From Faridabad‘Bihar’s New MY Formula Is Mahila & Youth’: PM Modi Targets RJD-Congress After NDA’s Landslide Win123PhotostoriesHow to raise kids who don’t give up easilyJaipur Installs Giant Air-Cleaning Towers as AQI Nears 200—Will They Really Help?Leading ladies who turned debut hits into overnight stardom10 dog breeds that are kid friendlyThe best book genres for kids to boost brain developmentRaising Kids Who Love Learning (Not Just Getting Good Grades)Cute baby nicknames inspired by colorsFrom film stars to business leaders five Bollywood women shaping empires outside cinema7 lesser-known health benefits of drinking 1 glass of okra water with a tablespoon of lemon juice for a monthBudget-friendly ways to create a child’s own space even in a small home123Hot PicksAlinagar Election ResultRaghopur Election ResultBihar Election Result 2025Gold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays NovemberBank Holidays NovemberTop TrendingLaMelo BallGiannis AntetokounmpoJoel EmbiidAidan HutchinsonNHL Trade RumorLatin GrammyDak PrescottBrazilian Bodybuilder Found DeadPercy HarvinStephen Curry
NEW DELHI: Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi — and now Bihar.What should have been a comeback moment for the Congress-led INDIA bloc instead turned into a rout.Bihar has delivered the harshest blow yet. With the Nitish Kumar–led NDA storming past the 200-seat mark and the Congress slipping to one of its most disappointing performances in the state, the INDIA bloc’s brief post-Lok Sabha momentum has abruptly evaporated, pulling the coalition back to political reality.
NDA won 202 seats out of the 243-member assembly, reducing the Rashtriya Janata Dal to a historical low and Congress to single digits. This comes down to Congress’ tactical, not strategic, electoral marriages with regional parties, which often lead to chaos and confusion in the run-up to the elections.
What happened in Bihar?
Alliance without alignmentIn the run-up to the Bihar elections, the Mahagathbandhan allies hit their first roadblock over the seat-sharing deal. While the NDA, despite all the infighting, reached a deal, the RJD, Congress, VIP and Left parties failed to decide on seat allotment even till the eve of the first phase of the elections.In at least 11 constituencies, allies within the Mahagathbandhan — the RJD, Congress, CPI and VIP — found themselves pitted against each other, leading to what were described as “friendly fights” but which in reality ended up splitting the opposition vote.These contests, spread across Vaishali, Kahalgaon, Narkatiaganj and several other seats, reveal how coordination failures and local ambitions undermined the alliance’s broader effort to challenge the BJP-led NDA’s dominance in the state.Interestingly, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – key partner of INDIA bloc from Jharkhand” withdrew from the Bihar contest after a stalemate over its seat-sharing deal with the INDIA bloc. “Unfortunately, JMM won’t be part of the Bihar polls despite my intentions and plans. This is only because of RJD’s ‘political’ immaturity,” JMM leader Sudivya Kumar had said after the impasse.Rahul’s Bihar missLeader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi once again proved to be a flop show in the Bihar assembly election. The Congress leader’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, which he rolled out just days ahead of the election, did not prove to be a trump card.Additionally, his repeated attacks on the Election Commission and charges of “vote theft” proved to be irrelevant in Bihar politics.
Following his yatra, Rahul Gandhi remained largely absent and returned to the campaign trail only on 29 October. Gandhi’s absence has become a significant issue amid a crisis within the party’s ranks, with many leaders alleging discrepancies in the distribution of tickets.Meanwhile, overwhelming women voters’ participation tilted the mandate toward the NDA, boosted by welfare schemes for women. One of the most talked-about schemes before the election was Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana — Rs 10,000 assistance for women wanting to start small enterprises.Women voters took the lead in what the Election Commission of India described as Bihar’s highest-ever voter turnout, with 71.6 per cent of female electors casting their ballots compared to 62.8 per cent of men. In the first phase of voting, 69.04 per cent of women turned out to vote, well above the 61.56 per cent male turnout.
The trend strengthened in the second phase, when 74.03 per cent of women voters exercised their franchise, again surpassing the 64.1 per cent turnout among men. Overall, Bihar recorded a 66.91 per cent voter turnout — the highest since the state’s first elections in 1951 — with women driving the surge in participation.The Seemanchal splitThe Mahagathbandhan’s dilemma over partnering with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM in Seemanchal also proved to be costly for the opposition alliance, as the fight between AIMIM and the Mahagathbandhan benefitted the NDA in the region. While AIMIM managed five seats in the region, the Mahagathbandhan was reduced to only nine seats.
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan claimed that “RJD and the Congress are themselves responsible for the division of minority votes.”He further said that the opposition alliance was given an opportunity to come together “by seeking only six seats from the Mahagathbandhan, but they refused”.No cadre for CongressIn the run-up to the elections, cracks within the Congress Bihar unit also resurfaced. Rebel Congress leaders, including several MLAs, staged protests for being denied tickets.These leaders demanded the immediate replacement of the party’s Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru with a ‘political’ person.After the Bihar polls, the next challenges for INDIA alliance awaits in the form of West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu assembly election. Now, it will be interesting to see how the opposition bloc.
