High voter turnout highlights close contest, BJP leads in strategy and momentum
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi being felicitated by Congress National Secretary Shakeel Ahmad Khan during an election rally for the final phase of the Bihar assembly election at Kadwa, in Katihar on Saturday (Photo: ANI)
New Delhi: Record voter turnout in the first phase of the Bihar elections has made the race highly competitive. Experts suggest that the initial phase indicates a tight contest between the NDA and the Grand Alliance. This has raised concerns within the Grand Alliance camp, as neutral voters are likely to play a crucial role in deciding outcomes in closely fought constituencies. The BJP has historically been successful in wooing neutral voters. In the previous election, it leveraged this strategy to defeat the opposition. Additionally, the first phase has seen an increase in women voters, a demographic the BJP is actively considering in its campaign strategy. While the overall picture will become clearer after the second phase of voting, the BJP appears to have had the upper hand so far.
The NDA, including the BJP and its ally JDU, formulated separate, seat-specific strategies from the beginning. In contrast, the Grand Alliance struggled to adjust to changes in caste equations and to consolidate a clear CM face. Tejashwi Yadav remains the alliance's primary leader, with the coalition focusing on young voters as well as Muslims, Dalits, backward, and extremely backward classes.
The Grand Alliance's campaign included star campaigners such as Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and SP's Akhilesh Yadav. However, analysts note that they were not as impactful as the NDA's campaigners, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.
The NDA maintained an early advantage on multiple fronts, including ticket distribution and declaration of the CM face. By the time Congress declared Tejashwi as the CM candidate, most NDA candidates were already confirmed, giving the NDA an organizational edge.
Campaign strategies also differed sharply. The NDA focused on the legacy of Lalu Yadav's "Jungle Raj" as a key issue, highlighting lawlessness and the threat of crime returning under an RJD-led government. This issue was used effectively to appeal to women voters and reinforce concerns about safety and governance. In contrast, the Grand Alliance displayed a fragmented agenda. While RJD leaders emphasized local issues such as unemployment and state development, Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi targeted national issues, including criticisms of PM Modi. Efforts to present a unified campaign, such as joint rallies, largely fell short due to coordination challenges between the RJD and Congress. The Grand Alliance also struggled with messaging consistency. Congress released a booklet titled 20 Saal Bihar Behaal, but it saw limited use during the campaign. Disagreements over strategy were evident: RJD wanted Congress to focus on upper-caste politics and avoid discussing PM Modi, while Rahul Gandhi continued a more centralized, national-level approach.
With the first phase complete, campaigning for the second phase has now ended. Voting for 122 seats across 20 districts is scheduled for Tuesday. Leaders from all major parties are expected to give their final push to voters. The final outcome will depend on turnout and whether trends from the first phase, including the strong performance of the NDA, continue. Around 65% voter turnout was recorded in the first phase, reflecting a highly engaged electorate.
