- Winning Bihar, 3rd most populous state, with almost 130 million people is crucial.
- Modi’s coalition far ahead of majority in 122 seats in Bihar.
- The result would be a boost for Modi after a national vote slump in 2024.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition is set to comfortably retain power in the poor and populous state of Bihar, a vote count showed on Friday, giving him a boost after a disappointing national vote last year.
Winning Bihar is crucial because it is India’s third-most populous state, with nearly 130 million people, and it sends the fifth-highest number of lawmakers to parliament. Control of the eastern state bolsters any party’s power in the Hindi heartland and often helps shape national political narratives.
Modi’s National Democratic Alliance coalition easily crossed the 122-seat majority mark, with data from the Election Commission of India showing it leading by more than 170 seats. TV channel NDTV said it was ahead in 191 seats, a potential gain of 69 seats from the last election.
“Bihar’s mandate is clear!” Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party said on X. “The people have made it clear – now development is the identity. Not jungle raj, good governance is needed!”
The Bihar result would mark a sharp turnaround for Modi, who lost his parliamentary majority in last year’s national election and had to rely on allies to stay in power. Since then, his party has steadily regained ground, winning several key state contests.
Political analysts have said that one of the key factors in the Bihar election was Modi’s September transfer of ₹75 billion (US$853 million) to millions of women in the state under an employment program.
Women voters across India have turned out in greater numbers over the past decade, and political parties have competed to attract them. In the past, men were slightly outnumbered by women at India’s polling stations.
Political analyst Amitabh Tiwari, who traveled across Bihar during the election – which was held in two phases on November 6 and 11 – said it was “only the women” that should give Modi a better result than what he received last time.
According to a survey this week by Tiwari’s VoteVibe agency, Modi’s alliance secured 48.5% of the female vote, more than 10 percentage points higher than the main opposition bloc.
States including Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu go to elections next year. Of these states, the BJP is in power only in Assam.
