Modi’s coalition NDA leads in 200 seats in Bihar, Tejashwi trails
- Last updated: November 14, 2025 | 12:48 ..
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling coalition is set to comfortably retain power in the poor and populous state of Bihar, a vote count showed on Friday, giving him a boost after a disappointing national vote last year.
Data from the Election Commission of India showed Modi's National Democratic Alliance coalition leading in more than 170 seats. However, TV channel NDTV said it was ahead in 191 seats, a potential gain of 69 seats from the last election.
The Times of India, on its part, said the coalition had crossed the 200 mark.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial face is trailing in the Lalu family's stronghold, Raghopur Assembly constituency, as BJP's Satish Kumar was seen leading with over 17,500 votes, according to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) early trends.
Raghopur is a bastion for the RJD. Historically, Tejashwi Yadav's father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, the founder of the RJD, along with his mother, Rabri Devi, have both represented this seat. Tejashwi has been the representative for this constituency since 2015. He won the seat in the 2020 elections with a lead of over 38,000 votes.
Winning Bihar is crucial because it is India's third-most-populous state with nearly 130 million people and it sends the fifth-highest number of lawmakers to Parliament. Control of the eastern state strengthens any party's power in the Hindi heartland and often helps to shape national political narratives.
"Bihar's mandate is clear!" Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party said on X. "The people have made it clear – now development is the identity. Not jungle raj, good governance is needed!"
Financial help for women key to win
The Bihar outcome would mark a sharp reversal for Modi, who lost his parliamentary majority in last year's national elections and had to lean on allies to remain in power. Since then, his party has steadily regained ground, winning several key state contests.
Political analysts have said one of the key factors in the Bihar election was Modi's September transfer of 75 billion rupees ($853 million) to millions of women in the state under an employment programme.
Women voters across India have turned out in greater numbers over the past decade and political parties have competed to attract them. Previously, men easily outnumbered women at India's polling stations.
Political analyst Amitabh Tiwari, who travelled across Bihar during the election – which was held in two phases on November 6 and 11 – said it was "just the women" who were set to give Modi a better result than what he received the last time.
According to a survey this week by Tiwari's VoteVibe agency, Modi's alliance secured 48.5% of the female vote, more than 10 percentage points higher than the main opposition bloc.
States including Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are due to go to the polls next year. Of those states, the BJP is in power only in Assam.
PM’s campaign rallies played major role
As vote counting is under way on Friday for the Bihar Assembly elections, an analysis of the data showed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign rallies played an important role in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gaining significant ground in early trends.
The counting for postal ballots opened at 8 am, and EVM votes from 8.30 am, under tight security.
Across 243 constituencies, strong multi-tier arrangements are in place, with Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) guarding inner perimeters and Bihar police maintaining outer security.
By around 9 am, the BJP, a key NDA partner, appeared to be leading in several important constituencies, according to early trends released by the Election Commission of India.
Trends showed NDA crossing the halfway mark as counting progressed.
Political observers and NDA strategists point to PM Modi's strong campaign presence in Bihar.
During the election, PM Modi held 14 rallies and a roadshow, mobilising voters across key districts. His frequent visits are believed to have energised the base and translated into higher turnout in constituencies where he campaigned heavily.
In the first phase of polling, the state recorded a high voter turnout, reflecting widespread engagement. The second phase saw even more intense participation, with a provisional turnout of 67.14 per cent, according to election officials.
PM Modi himself expressed optimism earlier, saying that the "record turnout" demonstrated the public's desire to "retain the NDA government".
On October 24, before formally launching the NDA's election campaign in Bihar, PM Modi paid tribute to social leader and Bharat Ratna awardee 'Jan Nayak' Karpoori Thakur in his ancestral village in Samastipur and met his family.
Agencies