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

In 2025, Bihar took centre stage in the national discourse as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) clinched a pivotal Assembly win, tightening its hold on the influential Hindi heartland constituent.

Moreover, special intensive revision (SIR) of the poll rolls in the State erased 65 lakh names from the voter list, igniting a political storm.

Defying anti-incumbency and health concerns, Nitish Kumar took oath as the Chief Minister for an unprecedented 10th time. The NDA swept 202 out of 243 seats, slashing the Mahagathbandhan’s tally to 35. The BJP claimed the top spot with 89 seats, closely followed by Janata Dal (United) with 85.

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

In a twist, the Jan Suraaj Party, led by a former poll strategist who had generated significant buzz online, failed to win a single seat.

Mr. Kumar’s new government looked much like the old, with only a handful of fresh faces joining a largely familiar Cabinet.

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

Poll promises

In the run-up to 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 called the scheme the linchpin of the JD(U)’s victory.

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

The new government announced several development projects, including building the Patna metro, new airports, national highways, and improvements to healthcare, sports, and education infrastructure.

New faces

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

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

A senior official said Left-Wing Extremism in Bihar “almost finished” as Maoist-infested districts in the state have sharply declined from 22 in 2013 to zero in 2025 due to the success of “anti-Maoist operations”.

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