NDA in full throttle as it shoots ‘200 paar’: Who will be the CM - Nitish Kumar or somebody else?

In its best performance to date, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha – has shot up to cross leads on 200 seats, leaving the Mahagathbandhan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and other allies in a deep slump with 33 leads.

The massive gap between the leads of the Narendra Modi-led NDA and the Mahagathbandhan underscores a strikingly weak performance by the Opposition alliance, signally a choice for the old order and once again reaffirming the popularity and campaign clout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But as the Bihar Election Result 2025 has started to become clearer, the question that will now be asked is "who will be the next chief minister of Bihar?” Will it be Nitish Kumar or the BJP, which has snatched the crown of being the single-largest party from the RJD, use it to bargain for the top seat?

In the run-up to the Bihar Election 2025, the BJP had maintained that Nitish Kumar would become the Bihar chief minister if the NDA won 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 the highest 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.

Meanwhile, as the saffron party outperformed ally JD(U) for the second consecutive Assembly election, Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal has said that “no party is big or small in the NDA”.

Jaiswal said the verdict reflected the people’s overwhelming endorsement of the development model under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief minister.

"The people liked the development brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. They have given us an enormous victory, an unprecedented success. For this, we bow our heads before them," he told the media, including PTI Video, amid a swirl of congratulatory handshakes and celebratory drumming outside the BJP office.

(With agency inputs)