In Patna, the offices of all three major parties – the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the BJP and JD(U) – are located on the same road, within a short distance of each other. On Friday afternoon, BJP and JD(U) workers were celebrating their stupendous victory in the Bihar assembly elections. 

Speaking to Newslaundry, Sanjay Dubey, a BJP worker, said, "Even our party didn't expect to win so many seats. We estimated the NDA would win around 140-150 seats." 

Dozens of JD(U) and BJP workers echoed similar sentiments. 

The NDA alliance won 202 out of 243 seats. Of these, the BJP won 89, the JD(U) 85, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) 19, the Hindustani Awam Morcha 5, and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha 4. The Mahagathbandhan won only 35 seats – the RJD getting 25, the Congress 6, the CPI (ML) 2, and the Indian Inclusive Party and the CPI (M) 1 each. Of the remaining six seats, AIMIM won 5 and the BSP 1.

Women carried Nitish Kumar to victory

Nitish Kumar has been the chief minister of Bihar since 2005. Despite all the speculation surrounding his health, many voters in Bihar clearly continue to repose their trust in him. In a state where politics revolves around complex caste equations, Nitish has cleverly cultivated a vote bank that has consistently remained with him. More importantly, there are signs that women voters were a key factor in the NDA's landslide victory.

Since taking office in 2005, Nitish has launched several women-centric schemes, including the Mukhyamantri Cycle Yojana, which gave Rs 2,000 to Class 9 girls to buy bicycles; reservations for women in panchayat elections; the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project, locally known as JEEViKA; and prohibition. These initiatives strengthened his influence among women.

Just a few days before the election announcement, women associated with the JEEViKA scheme were given Rs 10,000 each as seed capital. Previously, they received loans with interest, but for the first time, this amount was distributed without interest, on the condition of non-repayment. This move proved to be a masterstroke for the NDA in the elections.

There are 3.51 crore women voters in Bihar. Of this, approximately 1.20 crore women associated with the JEEViKA scheme received Rs 10,000 each in their accounts. Furthermore, Newslaundry found that community mobilisers associated with the scheme also mobilised votes for the NDA on the ground, forming part of the crowds at their rallies.

The Opposition Grand Alliance also promised Rs 30,000 in annual financial assistance for all women in Bihar as part of their Mai Bahin Maan Yojana, along with other sops, if they’re voted into power. However, some women told Newslaundry that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is “only making promises now, whereas Nitish is already delivering on them”.

Speaking to Newslaundry, one woman said, “We'll vote for the person who has given us Rs 10,000. No one else has given us this benefit. The last time they [RJD] won, they didn't provide us with anything. Since Nitish has come, he has given us something.”

To understand the political impact of this Rs 10,000 transfer, Newslaundry travelled across districts and spoke to JEEViKA women. Some called it a meaningful push for empowerment. Others questioned its timing. And caste, as always in Bihar, shaped these responses too.

Listening to the arguments presented by many women, it’s clear they trusted the help they received more than the promises of the future. It’s no surprise that voter turnout among women (71.28 percent) outstripped the men (62.8 percent) by a significant margin. 

In a deeply patriarchal environment like Bihar, it is often assumed that women vote as per the advice of men. But many men have complained that women have gone against their advice and voted for the NDA. 

Take the example of Arjun Kumar Lal, a resident of the Baadh assembly constituency in Patna district. Speaking to Newslaundry, he said, “The days when women voted the way the men in the family told them to have gone. Now, they have mobile phones in their hands and they spend their days watching videos. Messages from the government about security and financial support are directly reaching them. With money being deposited straight into their accounts, things have changed. You may tell them to vote for the RJD or another party, but they still end up voting for Modi and Nitish. That’s precisely what happened in my own home.”

Spectre of ‘Jungle Raj’ remains

Apart from financial assistance, security was also a key factor in women voters favouring the NDA. It seems that the spectre of ‘Jungle Raj’ during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s reign as Bihar chief minister looms large in the minds of voters. For those who did not experience that era, NDA leaders never missed a chance to remind them of it in their rallies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly invoked the term "Jungle Raj" in almost every meeting. According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, Narendra Modi mentioned the word "Jungle Raj” 300 times in 16 rallies. 

This sentiment was evident among the men as well. Speaking to Newslaundry at a bus stop in Purnia, Abhijeet Das, a shopkeeper, said, "We've seen it all. No one was seen here after 7 pm. People's vehicles were snatched while commuting. The roads were in poor condition. After Nitish Kumar came to power, the road conditions improved and security increased. Now, we can reach Patna in three to four hours. We can travel even late at night. What more can a person need? No matter which government comes to power, we have to earn a living. But the environment for work has been available only under Nitish Kumar's rule."

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