New Delhi: Exit polls from the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections suggest a comfortable victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar emerging as a major beneficiary of the verdict. The Matrize exit poll indicated a reversal of fortunes compared to 2020, giving Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) an edge over its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
According to the survey, the JDU is projected to secure between 67 and 75 seats, while the BJP is expected to win 65 to 73. Together, the NDA could bag between 147 and 167 seats, leaving the opposition Mahagathbandhan trailing with 70 to 90 seats. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party, which made its debut this election, is predicted to perform poorly. A broader poll of polls also pointed to a decisive NDA victory.
The results mark a potential turnaround for Nitish Kumar, who in the 2020 election saw his party slump to 43 seats while the BJP secured 74, relegating him to the role of a junior partner. That setback had led to speculation about the end of his political dominance and even hints of a possible retirement. However, despite being under pressure then, Nitish retained the chief minister’s post, citing “serious pressure” from allies as the reason for accepting another term.
If the current projections hold true, Nitish Kumar, now 74, is poised to reclaim his position as the senior partner in Bihar’s power equation. Analysts note that this resurgence would not only reaffirm his political resilience but also extend his nearly two-decade-long tenure as the state’s chief minister, possibly making him the longest-serving leader in Bihar’s history.
Nitish’s political journey has been marked by shifting alliances alternating between the BJP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led bloc multiple times since 2013. His most recent switch came in early 2024, when he broke away from the opposition INDIA bloc and returned to the NDA fold. The exit poll results now suggest that the decision may have paid off, reinforcing his image as one of India’s most adaptable and enduring political figures.
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