Nitish Kumar Bihar Election Result 2025: BJP outperforms ally JDU; will Nitish Kumar still retain CM post?

Nitish Kumar Bihar Election Result 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won more seats than its regional ally, Janata Dal (United) (JDU), in the Bihar Elections 2025.

As of 5 pm on Friday, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, winning 91 of the total 243 assembly seats in Bihar. Meanwhile, the JD(U) won 84 seats – 41 more than it had won in the 2020 polls.

In the current trends, the Nitish Kumar-led NDA is leading in a combined total of 203 seats.

In the 2020 Bihar election, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which leads the Opposition Mahagadhbandhan, had emerged as the single-largest party. Back then, as well, the BJP had won more seats than the JD(U).

Now, it's upon the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – the coalition of the BJP, JDU, LJPRV, HAM and RSHTLKM – to decide whether JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar will take oath for the record 10th time or the state will witness a change in the top post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the NDA 'family members' Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha for the Bihar poll win.

BJP national president JP Nadda hailed NDA's victory in Bihar polls as "historic" and said it is a seal of trust for development and welfare policies of the "double engine" government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In a post on X, Nadda said the "resounding majority" that the NDA has got in the election is also proof that people of Bihar have completely rejected the Mahagathbandhan's 'jungle raj' and corruption, and embraced the dimensions of "good governance, stability, and development" of the ruling coalition.

Nitish Kumar vs who for Bihar CM?

In the run-up to the Bihar Election 2025, the BJP had maintained that Nitish Kumar will become the Bihar chief minister if NDA wins the polls. The 2025 results have shown that Nitish Kumar has the mandate of the people. His party is leading on 83 seats – seven less than the BJP. But, the BJP remains the one with more number of MLAs.

The speculation of ‘somebody else’ being the NDA nominee for the chief minister post has shot up after JD(U) deleted a post which mentioned that Nitish Kumar will remain the Chief Minister of Bihar.

While the question remains, several posts declaring “Tiger Zinda Hai,” and “Hamre Bihar Ka Eke Star, Har Baar Nitish Kumar” have surfaced in the state after the Election Commission trends showed the ruling NDA well above the majority mark.

The 75-year-old is understood to have been buoyed by reports that his party, was poised for a better-than-expected performance after the 2020 setback.

In 2020, JD(U) contested 115 seats and won 43 seats, a drop of more than 25 seats compared with the previous assembly polls. However, this time, most of the exit polls have forecast more seats for JD(U).