New Delhi, Nov 14 As counting of votes unfolded on Friday for the 243-seat Bihar Vidhan Sabha, early trends delivered a resounding endorsement of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), propelled by the seamless implementation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship good governance initiatives through his steadfast partner, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Central to this victory were transformative schemes delivered via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) architecture, which ensured leak-proof support reached the intended beneficiaries, empowering millions and fostering tangible economic upliftment.
Over 86 lakh farmers in Bihar have received annual assistance of Rs 6,000 each under PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi, while Ayushman Bharat has provided free healthcare coverage up to Rs 5 lakh per family to crores, drastically reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The Jal Jeevan Mission has brought piped water to nearly every rural household, complementing state-level efforts like prohibition and women's safety measures, and Ujjwala Yojana has delivered clean cooking fuel to lakhs of women, liberating them from smoke-filled kitchens.
These programmes, aligned with Nitish Kumar's emphasis on law and order, rural infrastructure, and women's empowerment -- evident in schemes providing bicycles, scholarships, and self-help group credit --have collectively reinforced the narrative of “Sushasan”, or effective administration, directly touching lives and eroding memories of past misgovernance -- often referred as ‘Jungle Raj’ in crude terms.
This decisive outcome was underpinned by micro-economic gains that voters palpably felt.
According to the Bihar Economic Survey 2024-25, the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2023-24 is estimated to have increased by 14.5 per cent at current prices and 9.2 per cent at constant (2011-12) prices, respectively, compared to the previous year. The per capita GSDP in Bihar at current and constant (2011-12) prices is estimated to have increased by 12.8 per cent to Rs 66,828 and by 7.6 per cent to Rs 36,333, respectively, in 2023-24 over the previous year.
Similarly, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Bihar for the year 2023-24 is estimated to be Rs 8,54,429 crore at current prices and Rs 4,64,540 crore at constant (2011-12) prices.
The contribution of the tertiary sector to the Gross State Value Added (GSVA) in Bihar at constant (2011-12) prices is estimated to be 58.6 per cent, followed by 21.5 per cent from the secondary sector and 19.9 per cent from the primary sector, reflecting sustained progress amid national schemes.
Multidimensional poverty declined from over 50 per cent in 2015-16 to around 34 per cent by recent estimates, driven by DBT-enabled welfare and infrastructure expansion, including rural roads swelling from mere hundreds of kilometres in 2005 to over 1.17 lakh kilometres today.
Record female turnout exceeding 71 per cent highlighted how empowerment initiatives -- such as credit linkage for over 2,000 self-help groups totalling Rs 46,900 crore -- translated into electoral loyalty.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, at around 2 p.m., led in 91 seats, Janata Dal (United) in 79, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in around 22, with smaller allies adding further strength. In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan languished below 40, the Rashtriya Janata Dal at 27, while Congress faltered with four.
The opposition's limited focus on employment promises and caste enumeration failed to resonate against this backdrop of stability and delivery, even in erstwhile strongholds.
Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj registered a negligible impact.
For Nitish Kumar, this paves the way for a tenth term as chief minister, cementing his legacy, while bolstering the BJP's stature within the alliance. The verdict affirms Bihar's alignment with the national vision of inclusive growth, promising accelerated development in the pursuit of a Viksit Bharat.
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