The cheers at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan are building for a momentous political spectacle. On November 20th, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will formally establish its dominance as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar prepares to be sworn in for a historic tenth time, leading a massive new coalition. This ceremony is the testament of a crushing electoral victory that saw the NDA secure an overwhelming three-fourths majority, bagging 202 seats in the 243-member assembly. The mandate was emphatic: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, closely followed by Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) with 85 seats, proving that their combined appeal was an unstoppable force that swept aside the opposition.
The ensuing government formation has been rapid and clear: the new cabinet is expected to be a coalition showcase, with the BJP and JD(U) dividing the spoils alongside key allies like Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM(S). With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of top national leaders set to attend the grand oath-taking, the event symbolises not just state continuity but the full power of the NDA’s national endorsement.
The quiet electoral tsunami
If the NDA’s victory had a single, golden thread, it was the meticulously cultivated loyalty of Bihar’s women voters, which was finally secured by the promise of a ₹10,000 grant. This policy was not merely a financial handout; it was the ultimate culmination of Nitish Kumar’s long-term strategy to build the most powerful and dependable vote bank in the state. For years, he had laid the groundwork with landmark social engineering policies, including bicycle schemes that empowered schoolgirls and the contentious, yet popular among women, implementation of prohibition. The direct financial incentive became the tipping point. It resonated deeply in the state's poorest communities, cementing the loyalty of the Pahunch Didi (accessible sister) vote bank. By directly addressing the economic needs of the women the NDA secured a reliable and decisive edge, turning an already strong base into an unassailable majority. The opposition’s defeat was, in essence, a failure to counter this singular, powerful bond.
This strategic economic move was perfectly paired with the successful weaponisation of the past. The NDA campaign effectively invoked the 'fear of Katta Sarkar', a direct reference to the perceived collapse of law and order during the RJD's previous tenure in the 1990s and early 2000s. Nitish Kumar’s reputation for focusing on security and infrastructure played perfectly against the spectre of instability. By contrasting his commitment to the rule of law with the potential return of a less disciplined regime, the NDA successfully swayed the crucial floating voters and kept the middle-class firmly in its corner.
The RJD family feud
Across the political fence, the atmosphere in the opposition Mahagathbandhan camp is one of utter wreckage. Having only managed a dismal 35 seats, the RJD’s young leader, Tejashwi Yadav, has been left to contend with the immediate internal fallout of the loss. The disappointment quickly devolved into public, familial recrimination, revealing deep fissures within the Lalu Prasad Yadav family. The most dramatic sign of this turmoil came from Lalu’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, who launched a blistering public attack on her brother Tejashwi and his close aides.
She publicly announced she was quitting politics and cutting ties with her brother, tragically claiming she was humiliated, abused, and threatened with a slipper after she questioned the RJD’s defeat. In a heartbreaking twist, Rohini alleged she was insulted and accused of giving a dirty kidney and seeking political favours in return. Her emotional public statements, which also led to three more of her sisters leaving their parents’ Patna residence, forced Lalu Prasad to intervene at a meeting of RJD MLAs, declaring that the family matter would be "solved inside the house." The RJD’s desperate claims of an NDA cash for votes tactic were entirely overshadowed by the sight of their ruling family publicly imploding, showcasing that the electoral defeat was not just a political setback but a shattering personal crisis for the state’s most prominent dynasty.