Modi poised for major victory as record turnout transforms Bihar election

A record voter turnout in Bihar has left Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alliance on course for a sweeping victory in one of India’s most decisive regional contests. Early trends show the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) ahead in most of the state’s 243 assembly seats as counting continues, according to the official turnout figures.

The two phases of polling on 6 and 11 November drew unprecedented numbers to the booths, with 66.9 per cent of Bihar’s 74 million registered voters casting ballots – the highest participation since India’s first general election in 1951. Women in particular turned out in striking numbers, accounting for more than 71 per cent of votes cast, a level that analysts say could help reshape the political landscape of the eastern state.

Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s long-serving chief minister and leader of the JD(U), appears set to retain power in partnership with Modi’s BJP, despite a campaign dominated by questions about unemployment, migration, and the rising cost of living.

“This election has reminded us that people want results, not rhetoric,” said one Patna-based political observer. “It was less about slogans and more about who could deliver stability.”

Women voters shift the balance

Bihar has become a case study in how the expansion of women’s participation can redefine Indian politics. The state has historically been one of the poorest in the country, and for decades women had little direct political influence. Their increasing turnout has changed that calculation.

Many women were drawn by promises of welfare schemes, financial support, and job opportunities for their children. Campaigns across the state also reflected a greater focus on public safety and transport, issues that had once received limited attention.

Allegations and controversy

The campaign was marked by fierce debate over the revision of electoral rolls, which removed nearly five million names. Opposition parties accused the Election Commission of bias in favour of the ruling alliance, claims the body rejected, insisting the removals were due to migration and duplication.

The opposition coalition, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress, faces one of its worst results in recent years. Tejashwi Yadav, the 35-year-old son of former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, had sought to mobilise younger voters with pledges of job creation and rural investment, but early counts suggest his bloc is struggling to hold even traditional strongholds.

A verdict with national implications

The outcome in Bihar will be read far beyond its borders. It is the first of several major state contests leading into next year’s national elections and a bellwether for the strength of Modi’s leadership after more than a decade in power.

Bihar’s results also carry symbolic weight: it is a state where the BJP has rarely governed alone but now appears to have consolidated control through its alliance. Political analysts say the result strengthens Modi’s image as a vote-getter in the Hindi-speaking heartland while reaffirming the BJP’s organisational dominance.

For India’s opposition, the loss underlines the challenge of uniting behind a credible national alternative.

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