New Delhi, Nov 12 – The 2024 Bihar state election is set to decide who takes the reins of politics in India’s most populous state. Exit polls say the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win again, but key players such as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and opposition leaders like Tejashwi Yadav are watching closely as electronic voting machines (EVMs) start counting on Friday.
Nitish Kumar’s stakes are high
The third‑largest party in the last assembly election, the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) is led by Nitish Kumar, who has been at the forefront of Bihar politics for over three decades. Though he will not run in this election, the future of the JDU and Kumar’s influence hinge on how the party performs. The JDU contested 115 seats in 2020 and won 43 – making it the third‑largest party after the BJP’s 74 seats and the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) 75. If the exit polls come true, this could be Kumar’s last term in the assembly; he will continue to lead the state from the Bihar Legislative Council.
Tejashwi Yadav’s comeback challenge
Tejashwi Yadav, the 36‑year‑old son of late Lalu Prasad Yadav, is mounting a comeback as the Mahagathbandhan’s chief‑ministerial candidate. The RJD won 75 seats in 2020, but it fell short of a simple majority. A tight result Thursday could preserve Tejashwi’s position, but a major setback could bring the opposition—especially the Congress and the Left—into question. The Communist Party of India (Marxist‑Leninist) Liberation, led by Dipankar Bhattacharya, made a modest comeback in 2020, winning 12 of its 19 contested seats. Their fortunes now could shape the prospects of left‑wing politics in Bihar.
Other players on the chessboard
Prashant Kishor’s Jan‑Suraaj Party is another wildcard. Exit polls suggest it may secure only a handful of seats, forcing Kishor to reconsider alliances. Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) hopes to redeem his party’s poor showing in 2020 after a clean sweep in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls where the party captured all five seats it contested. Tej Pratap, a former RJD member now in the fold of the Mahagathbandhan, seeks to prove that he still commands public support.
Why the outcome matters
Bihar’s 104‑seat legislature holds significant sway over national politics. A victory for the NDA would keep its longstanding governance structure intact, while a strong showing for the opposition could shake up alliances and change future electoral strategies. As the EVMs tick, India’s political map will shift—affecting parties, candidates, and the voters who shaped this story.
The counting on Friday will decide whether the BJP‑led NDA remains dominant, whether Nitish Kumar’s JDU can bounce back to a top spot, or whether the opposition’s fight under Tejashwi Yadav will rewrite the future of Bihar politics. The drama continues until the final numbers are tallied.
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