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The BJP sees the Bihar assembly elections as key to regaining national dominance before the 2027 presidential election. Hence, Bihar has been marked as a “priority” state
Both Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the BJP want to avoid a dynastic narrative in the upcoming assembly polls, which clears the way for the BJP to take over the NDA command in the state. (Image: PTI/File)
For the BJP, the assembly elections in Bihar are not just about forming a state government, but about a crucial political development in the offing.
They are about reclaiming national dominance in time for the presidential election due in 2027. Internally, senior political and poll strategists of the BJP have marked Bihar as a “priority” state.
And it has now become more critical than even Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh in the coming cycle, News18 has learnt.
The urgency and growing significance stem from certain numbers. According to a senior source in the BJP ranks, the party’s electoral college edge for the presidential poll has dropped from 69 percent to just 52 percent after the 2024 Lok Sabha results.
That slip has triggered alarms in Delhi. With little addition expected from West Bengal, Kerala, or Punjab, and, with Uttar Pradesh maxed out and Uttarakhand already being saturated, the party now has only two realistic growth zones that include Tamil Nadu and Bihar – a short-term imperative.
Even as Tamil Nadu appears to be a long-term bet, Bihar seems to be the current imperative, the source said.
THE MATH THAT MATTERS
This calculation makes the upcoming Bihar polls a make-or-break situation. The BJP aims at increasing its seat share by at least 35, not only to form the government but to build a decisive buffer for 2027 that is seen as a contest the party cannot afford to lose.
Every assembly seat from Bihar contributes to the strength of the electoral college, and the state’s 243 seats can significantly tilt the balance. This, meanwhile, adds freshness to the political equation, which is clearly about the absence of succession drama in the JD(U).
Sources said Nishant Kumar, son of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is not likely to contest the assembly polls. “Both Nitish and the BJP want to avoid a dynastic narrative in this sensitive situation. For the BJP, this clears the way to take over the NDA command in Bihar, sidestepping legacy issues and allegations,” a senior BJP leader said.
“The party is also doing everything it can possibly do to avoid internal sabotage like in 2020. This time, Chirag (Paswan) is seeking more seats, overlapping with the JD(U) turf. The BJP is, however, trying to rein him in to avoid rupturing the alliance, or antagonising Nitish Kumar,” said another source.
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa…Read More
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa… Read More
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