SIR, NDA’s win, new BJP president: how Bihar took centre stage in national politics

In 2025, Bihar took center stage in the national discourse as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a significant Assembly victory, tightening its grip on the influential Hindi heartland component.

Moreover, the special intensive revision (SIR) of poll lists in the state deleted 65 lakh names from the voter list, which sparked a political storm.

Defying anti-incumbency and health concerns, Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Prime Minister for an unprecedented 10th time. The NDA mopped up 202 out of 243 seats, reducing the Mahagathbandhan’s tally to 35. The BJP took the top spot with 89 seats, followed by Janata Dal (United) with 85 seats.

In the Mahagathbandhan, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won 25 seats, Congress won six seats and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) won two seats.

In a twist, the Jan Suraaj Party, led by a former poll strategist who has made a significant splash online, did not win even a single seat.

Mr. Kumar’s new government was very similar to the old one; Only a handful of new faces were joining the largely familiar Cabinet.

Before the poll, the Election Commission of India (EC) conducted the SIR, which made national headlines. The EC claimed that only the names of those who died, moved out of the state or were registered at more than one place were deleted. However, the Opposition alleged that SIR led to disenfranchisement.

Poll promises

Ahead of the elections, the Bihar government launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, offering ₹10,000 each to 7.5 million women as seed money for self-employment. Mr. Kishore said the plan was the cornerstone of JD(U)’s victory.

The NDA government has promised to focus on development and prosperity in Bihar, including a higher pension scheme, free electricity for up to 125 units, job reservations for Bihar women and financial support for women.

The new government announced several development projects, including the construction of the Patna metro, new airports, national highways and improvements in health, sports and education infrastructure.

new faces

The BJP has named five-term MLA from Bankipore (Patna) constituency and Minister of State Nitin Nabin as the new national working president of the party, replacing Jagat Prakash Nadda.

Earlier this year, former Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan was appointed Governor of Bihar, replacing Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.

Left Extremism in Bihar is “almost finished” as the number of Maoist-infested areas in the state has reduced from 22 in 2013 to zero by 2025 due to the success of “anti-Maoist operations”, a senior official said.

Political observer Nawal Kishore Choudhary has predicted that Bihar could see political activity in 2026, amid concerns over Mr Kumar’s health and Mr Nabin’s rise as the national president of the BJP.