Bihar last election result 2020: How many seats did BJP, JD(U) and RJD win – a look back at nail-biting battle

Bihar Election Results: As counting gets underway for Bihar Assembly elections today, exit polls have predicted a landslide victory for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Most surveys indicate that the NDA is set to secure a comfortable majority, with the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) expected to trail significantly behind.

The projections also suggest that while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) may remain the single largest party, the NDA’s overall seat tally will give it a decisive edge in forming the next government.

Two new exit polls released on Wednesday projected a victory for the NDA in Bihar, with Axis My India giving the ruling alliance a clear lead and Today’s Chanakya predicting a decisive win over the Mahagathbandhan.

Both surveys indicated a poor debut performance for Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj (JS) party.

Bihar assembly election 2020 result party-wise?

What happened in 2020 Bihar Assembly election? The poll results saw closest outcomes in recent history of Bihar polls. The NDA bagged 125 seats, just three above the majority mark of 122 in the 243-member assembly. The MGB won 110 seats. Despite the 15-seat gap, the popular vote was nearly tied, with the NDA at 37.26% and the MGB at 36.58%.

The RJD emerged as single largest party with 75 seats followed by the BJP with 74 seats. The JD-u won 43 seats while the Congress won 19 seats. The CPILM-L won 9 seats and AIMIM won 5 seats in 2020 polls.

What was the status of alliances in 2020 elections?

Within the alliances, the RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats and 23.11% of the vote, followed by the BJP with 74 seats and 19.46%. The JD(U) won 43 seats with 15.39%, while the Congress took 19 seats on 9.48% of the vote.

The election was decided by narrow margins in many constituencies.

A total of 20 seats were won by less than 1% of the vote, 40 by less than 2%, and 52 by fewer than 5,000 votes. Eleven seats had margins under 1,000 votes. The closest contest was in Hilsa, decided by a margin of 12 votes. Other tight races included Barbigha (113 votes), Ramgarh (189), Matihani (333), and Bhorey (462).

Both years saw NDA versus MGB, but alliances evolved following the 2020 realignments.

In 2020, the NDA included BJP (110 seats), JD(U) (122), and minor allies like HAM and VIP; LJP split to contest 135 seats independently, spoiling JD(U).

By 2025, LJP (Ram Vilas) rejoined the NDA alongside HAM and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), while the MGB remained stable (RJD, Congress and Left).

A major addition in 2025 is Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj, contesting all 243 seats independently, absent in 2020, and projected to win 0–3 seats, potentially fragmenting opposition votes. AIMIM's role persists in Seemanchal, but JS introduces a new wildcard.

Migration issue

Bihar, home to 127 million people, holds significant sway in Indian national politics. The state elects 40 of the 543 members in the Lok Sabha. The state, a landlocked region bordering the Himalayan nation of Nepal, is the country's poorest with a per capita income of just ₹32,227 for the year ending March 2024, compared with the national average of ₹106,744.

Migration is a defining feature, with ~2.5 million Biharis leaving annually for low-skill jobs in states like Punjab, Maharashtra, and Delhi—often from marginalised SC/ST and OBC communities. This “brain drain” of unskilled labour sustains families via remittances totalling ₹25,000 crore yearly, boosting consumption but draining local talent.

Improved transport post-2005 has intensified outflows, creating a cycle of poverty and dependency. Recent policies aim to reverse this through skill development and local job creation.

What promises dominated 2020 and 2025 elections?

COVID management, the migrant crisis, and unemployment dominated 2020.

In 2025, campaigns shifted to ongoing concerns, including youth migration, which was highly raised by Congress's Kanhaiya Kumar padyatra and Rahul Gandhi's August tour. Other concerns raised were electoral reforms and voter list discrepancies from the SIR.

The NDA emphasised development and stability, with Nitish Kumar's "Tiger Zinda Hai" slogan signalling resilience.

The MGB, led by Tejashwi Yadav, pushed “results over jumla,” targeting anti-incumbency. JSP's anti-establishment pitch added a fresh layer, one that was absent in 2020.

Change in NDA, INDIA dynamics since 2020 Bihar Elections

Since the 2020 Bihar elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has swapped his alliance twice — in 2022 and 2024.

He had formed the Bihar government in 2020 after forging an alliance with the NDA. The key parties that formed the NDA back then were the BJP, JD(U), and HAM.

In August 2022, Nitish Kumar, dubbed "Paltu Ram" in political spheres, severed ties with the BJP and left the NDA to join hands with the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan. Tejashwi Yadav was then appointed Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister.

However, Nitish Kumar's romance with the RJD lasted short of two years. In January 2024, Nitish Kumar switched sides again, coming back to the NDA just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

What early trends show in the 2025 assembly election in Bihar?

The ruling NDA was leading in 166 seats, surpassing the majority mark of 122, in early trends as counting was underway for the Bihar assembly polls on Friday morning, according to the Election Commission.

The opposition INDIA bloc was way behind, leading in 59 of the 243 seats in the assembly.

The tally is likely to change with several rounds of counting still left.

The BJP was leading in 72 seats, its ally JD(U) in 71, the LJP(RV) in 18, the HAM (S) in four, and the RLM was leading in one seat after the first few rounds of counting.

In the opposition bloc, the RJD was leading in 43 seats, the Congress in eight, the CPIM(L) Liberation in six, and the CPI and CPI(M) in one seat each.

The Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party and the Mukesh Sahani-helmed VIP are trailing in all the seats they have contested.

(With inputs from agencies)