The BJP’s record strike rate and LJP(R)’s impressive gains have shifted the balance of power, opening up the Chief Minister’s race for the first time in years.
BY PC Bureau
Patna, November 14: The battle for Bihar’s top post intensified on Thursday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), backed by Chirag Paswan’s LJP(R), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLD, swept past the majority mark without needing JD(U). The dramatic numbers have thrown the state into a phase of political uncertainty and raised fresh questions about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s future.
According to the latest trends, the BJP is leading in 92 of the 101 seats it contested — a strike rate that has stunned analysts and overshadowed its ally JD(U)’s performance. Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) is ahead in 19 seats, HAM in 5, and Kuswaha’s RLD in 4. Together, the BJP-led bloc holds 124 seats, two more than the halfway mark of 122 in the 243-member Assembly.
n addition, after such a stupendous victory, the BJP could easily “manage” numbers from within the Opposition ranks to ensure stability for a government formed without Nitish Kumar, if it chose to go down that path. However, such a scenario appears unlikely, as it could trigger a sharp backlash from Nitish Kumar’s supporters and risk unnecessary political turbulence within the NDA.
🚨 HUGE! BJP is now leading on 90 seats.
RLM 4, HAM 4 and Chiragʼs LJP also leading on 20 seats.
Majority mark: 122.
👉 BJP+RLM+HAM+LJP together are currently leading on 118 seats 🔥 pic.twitter.com/50f1JiCc1D
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) November 14, 2025
The unexpectedly strong showing has transformed the power dynamic within the National Democratic Alliance. The BJP, already contesting on an equal number of seats as JD(U) for the first time, now finds itself in a position to form government without Nitish Kumar — a possibility that was considered remote before counting began.
READ: Deleted JD(U) Tweet Sparks Buzz Over Nitish Kumar’s Future
Importantly, BJP leaders have maintained throughout the campaign that the party never projected Nitish Kumar as the Chief Ministerial face of the alliance. Senior leaders repeatedly emphasised that the election was being fought under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s governance vision for Bihar. This ambiguity — seen by JD(U) as a deliberate strategy — has now become central to the unfolding post-poll narrative.
Amid rising tensions, JD(U) triggered speculation on Thursday after a social media post declaring Nitish Kumar as the next Chief Minister was quietly deleted. The move, coming at a time when the NDA does not numerically need JD(U), has intensified chatter that Nitish’s long-standing grip on the CM’s office is slipping.
For JD(U), the road ahead looks increasingly narrow. Even with support from the Mahagathbandhan, the party lacks the numbers to form a government. The opposition bloc led by the RJD is itself far behind and in no position to challenge the NDA’s dominance.
Within the NDA, meanwhile, jockeying for the leadership has begun. The BJP’s sweeping mandate gives it a decisive say in choosing the next Chief Minister, while Chirag Paswan’s strong performance has emboldened his camp to push for a significantly larger share in government — perhaps even a claim to the top post, depending on the BJP’s calculus.
As counting progresses, one fact is unmistakable: Bihar is heading toward its most dramatic political realignment in years. With BJP never naming Nitish Kumar as its CM face and now holding the numbers to govern without him, the Chief Minister’s chair is more open — and more contested — than it has been in over a decade.
