NDA’s three-fourth majority in the third most populous state, its best performance since 2010, comes as a major endorsement of the ‘double-engine plank’ of the alliance and has validated the coalition’s belief that an opposition campaign centred on targeting PM Narendra Modi carries a stiff cost.The coalition contested the polls as a united family, blurring the ‘symbols divide’, with smaller allies making significant contributions. Buoyed by the emphatic win despite the Mahagathbandhan’s bitter campaign accusing PM Modi of ‘vote chori’, BJP strategists said the attack backfired – much like the ‘chowkidar chor hai’ slogan of 2019.A senior party functionary added that the fourth successive win in state elections points to the desire of the electorate to help Modi make up for the surprising sub-par performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. NDA’s landslide victory, with BJP’s second-best performance and strike rate ever, confirm that the charisma of Modi, the alliance mascot who has completed 11 years in office, remains intact.
NDA’s previous best tally was 206 of the 243 seats in 2010, with JDU winning 115 and BJ. This time, BJP has emerged as the single largest party. However, party leaders have shown commitment to abide by ‘coalition dharma’ and reconcile with the continuation of Nitish Kumar as CM – another testament to the fact that stitching alliances is not enough; parties must equally focus on running them smoothly. Unity among allies was so evident that even their poll offices were set up as those of the alliance, not individual parties. Besides, most rallies were held in the name of the alliance, with PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah addressing workers of all parties rather than confining themselves to BJP or its bastions.Although Nitish Kumar had walked away from the alliance in the past, top BJP netas, including PM Modi and Shah, set the narrative for his entire 20 years in office, floating the slogan of ‘Mangal Raj’ as contrast to Lalu-Rabri’s ‘Jungle-Raj’. Central and state welfare schemes – particularly those benefitting women – formed the campaign’s core, while reminders of the ‘dark years’ of misgovernance helped consolidate voter sentiment. BJP netas also accepted Nitish as the alliance leader, ignoring apprehensions about the chief minister’s health.The PM addressed 13 rallies and held a roadshow in Patna. Throughout the campaign, he conveyed a message of unity to NDA constituents by interacting with them as the campaign kicked off and ironing out differences among them after the announcement of the alliance’s candidates.
