The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) suffered a major setback in the Bihar assembly elections, weakened by internal disagreements, poor seat-sharing coordination, and “friendly fights” that fragmented opposition votes. By 5pm, the Opposition alliance was ahead in only 33 of 243 seats, while the NDA surged ahead in 204, securing a sweeping mandate.
The polls were seen as a crucial test of the INDIA bloc’s unity—an alliance formed in 2023 to challenge the BJP’s growing dominance. Instead, the bloc’s seat-sharing talks collapsed amid dissatisfaction from leaders denied tickets, resulting in multiple rebellions and intra-alliance contests.
Internal Rifts Cost Seats
Political analysts noted that personal ambitions, local rivalries and lack of coordination created openings for the ruling NDA to consolidate its position.
- Kahalgaon:
- RJD’s Rajnish Bharti: 37,047 votes (13th round)
- JD(U)’s Subhanand Mukesh: 61,126 votes (leading)
- Congress’s Pravin Kushwaha: 4,722 votes
Opposition votes were split, helping JD(U) maintain a strong lead.
- Sultanganj:
- Congress’s Lalan Kumar: 1,868 votes
- RJD’s Chandan Kumar Sinha: 52,244 votes
- JD(U)’s Lalit Narayan Mandal: 71,314 votes (leading)
Experts say combined INDIA bloc votes could have overtaken the NDA here and in several other constituencies.
Analysts emphasised that the INDIA bloc’s fragmented strategy and unresolved internal conflicts ultimately enabled the NDA’s decisive victory.