PM Modi’s leadership anchors NDA victory, reshapes BJP’s role in Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message from Surat — that the people of Bihar “don’t need to be taught politics, they can teach it to the world” — captured the mood within the NDA on November 15, a day after the alliance stormed back to power with a commanding mandate.

In Patna, both the BJP and the JD(U) projected the victory as a resounding endorsement of the “double engine” model helmed by Modi at the Centre and Nitish Kumar in Bihar. JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha called it the combined triumph of the two leaders’ “development vision”.

For the BJP, the numbers tell their own story. With 89 seats — four more than its senior partner JD(U)’s 85 — the party believes it has entered a new phase of political assertiveness in the state. Senior leaders said the outcome reflected meticulous central planning with Modi as the fulcrum.

The Union Budget’s Bihar-focused push — from the National Makhana Board to major canal, road and rail projects — signalled early intent. This was followed by a sweeping ground campaign: Modi addressed 14 rallies and a roadshow across districts including Samastipur, Begusarai, Bhojpur, Saharsa, Bhagalpur and Kaimur, keeping the spotlight firmly on Bihar-centric development.

Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, re-elected from Tarapur, called the verdict a “double stamp” of confidence in Modi and Nitish. At every rally, Modi praised Nitish’s “good governance”, contrasting the NDA’s development model with the RJD’s “jungle raj”, while highlighting the potential of agro-based industries and the makhana economy.

BJP leaders attributed the victory to a three-tier strategy: Modi’s sustained outreach, region-wise organisational meetings conducted by Amit Shah, and micro-management by Bihar in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan. “Modi and Nitish are equal mega stars of this election,” said BJP vice-president Santosh Pathak, adding that the Bihar mandate sets the BJP’s roadmap for West Bengal next year.

Despite emerging as the “elder brother” in Bihar, the BJP remains mindful of JD(U)’s strategic importance at the Centre, where its 12 Lok Sabha MPs bolster the NDA’s numbers.

With the mandate secured, behind-the-scenes manoeuvres have already begun. Senior bureaucrats have reportedly reached out to top BJP figures as discussions on government formation intensify.

At the BJP office in Patna, state president Dilip Jaiswal, Samrat Choudhary and other leaders met November 15 to deliberate on ministerial combinations and possible new entrants on both sides. While both parties may retain key departments, changes are expected.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has yet to make a public appearance post-results, though JD(U) leaders and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh met him Saturday, signalling early moves in the next phase of Bihar’s political choreography.