FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 ` 5.00 | | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Saturday, 15 November 2025 SPORTS SATURDAY INTERVIEW BBC apologises to Trump but refuses to pay compensation BUSINESS Page 7 Nitish-Modi wave sweeps Bihar, NDA gets two-thirds majority BRIEFLY BJP 2, Congress 2 in by-elections New Delhi: The results of eight Assembly by-elections held across six states and one Union territory were declared on Friday, with victories spread across multiple parties. In Jammu and Kashmir, AGA Syed Muntazir Mehdi of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party won the Budgam seat, while Devyani Rana of the BJP secured a win in Nagrota. Somesh Chandra Soren of the JMM won in Jharkhand’s Ghatsila seat. In Mizoram, R Lalthangliana of the MNF emerged victorious in the Dampa constituency. Odisha’s Nuapada seat went to Jay Dholakia of the BJP. Punjab witnessed a significant victory for the AAP with Harmeet Singh Sandhu winning the Tarn Taran seat. Rajasthan’s Anta seat was won by Pramod Jain ‘Bhaya’ of the INC, while in Telangana’s Jubilee Hills, Naveen Yadav V, also of the Congress, claimed victory. IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 14 November C ashing in on the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the women- centric welfare schemes launched by his government, Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Friday led the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a landslide victory in Bihar. The BJP emerged as the largest party, while the JD(U) made significant gains. Both parties contested 101 seats each. The BJP has won 91, while the JD(U) has secured 83. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Tejashwi Yadav bit the dust with just 26 seats, while its alliance partner in the 'Mahagathbandhan,' Congress, bagged just six seats. The election outcome puts a big question mark on the leadership of Tejashwi, with his party's strength going down considerably. For the RJD, there was limited relief, as its leader a n d ASHOK TUTEJA New Delhi, 14 November The election results evidently prove that there was a pro-incumbency wave in the state, with the people, by and large, satisfied with the performance of the Nitish government on almost all fronts, including law and order, electricity, water, and roads. In the run-up to the elections, even his detractors acknowledged in hushed tones that Nitish remained a force to reckon with because of his clean image and the work done by his administration for different castes and religions. Ahead of the crucial polls, the JD (U)-le d NDA 243 Total Seats 202 NDA 35 MGB 6 OTH Alliance 2025 2020 Change NDA 202 122 +80 MGB 35 114 -79 OTH 6 7 -1 government unveiled a series of welfare schemes, but the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY), aimed at women's e conomic empowerment, ostensibly proved to be a game-changer as women seemed to have yet again voted overwhelmingly in favour of the ruling coalition. It is now to be seen whether the BJP leadership will stick to its promise of making Nitish the CM again. Everything depends on PM Modi, who has solidly backed Nitish ever since the JD(U) returned to the NDA fold. Nitish has led the state through several coalition governments, often switching alliances between the BJP and the RJD. This frequent hopping from one alliance to the other earned him the name of a political "flip-flopper". But this also highlights his ability to not only survive but thrive in a politically conscious state like Bihar. INDIA bloc’s worst show yet: Tejashwi faces leadership questions IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 14 November The 2025 Bihar Assembly election has been extremely disappointing for the INDIA Alliance and a personal setback for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav. This election has turned out to be one of the RJD’s worst performances. The party has not only fared poorly, but Tejashwi Yadav himself is struggling to re t a i n h i s s e a t f ro m Raghopur. The issue is not merely about the Leader of the Opposition’s chair, it also raises questions about Tejashwi Yadav’s future as the most acceptable face of the Opposition in Bihar. S e n i o r l e a d e r s h ave already begun questioning his leadership. From cycles to cash transfers: Nitish’s women-centric policies pay off IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 14 November Women in Bihar voted overwhelmingly for the NDA in the Assembly elections. This was evident from the turnout figures, as women voted 9% more than men in the record-breaking polling. It is usually difficult to gauge the voting preferences of rural women beforehand, but this time the undercurrent of support driven by the Rs 10,000 assistance provided under the Mukhyamantri Rozgar Yojana was clearly visible. It appears that women, in general, placed strong trust in Nitish Kumar. Cash schemes have been the reason behind the ruling parties’ victories in several states, which encouraged the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government to offer every eligible woman Rs10,000 in cash assistance along with collateral-free loans of up to Rs2 lakh. This cash transfer became the NDA’s winning formula in Bihar as well. However, political PM: Victory in Bihar has paved way for BJP’s triumph in Bengal Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, is leading in Raghopur by over 13,000 votes after initially trailing. As soon as the trends became clear, J D ( U ) workers BJP supporters celebrate NDA's lead in the vote counting of the Bihar Assembly election 2025, in Patna on Friday. AGENCIES Nitish Kumar: Bihar’s Man of All Seasons The BJP may have got more seats than the Janata Dal (United) to lead the NDA to a thumping victory, but Nitish Kumar has clearly emerged as 'The Man of the Match' of the Bihar Assembly elections. The electorate in Bihar voted on the performance of his government and Nitish has passed the litmus test with flying colours, his failing health notwithstanding. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, of course, made a significant contribution to the NDA's victory, but credit goes to Nitish for outsmarting his young rival, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, to once again be the top contender for the chief ministership. His popularity seems to have increased, rather than waned, even though he has been at the helm for 20 years, barring a brief nine-month period. Page 12 WORLD Government notifies India’s first digital privacy law Page 10 Bumrah wrecks South Africa as India take command on Day 1 of Kolkata Test Page 9 ‘Cloud seeding is just cosmetic’ observers believe that this programme was not just about money, it was the beginning of self-employment. Nitish Kumar was among the first leaders to recognise women, who form nearly 48% of Bihar’s total electorate, as a distinct and influential constituency. He has consistently nurtured this base through various welfare schemes. Initially, he had avoided relying solely on cash handouts as welfare politics. Initiatives such as 50% reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions and urban bodies, 35% reservation in government jobs, the bicycle distribution scheme for schoolgirls, financial assistance for the education and marriage of daughters, measures to enhance women’s participation in agriculture, and the prohibition of liquor have earned him strong support among women voters. The additional grant of Rs 10,000 to 1.51 crore women just before the elections further consolidated this backing. began celebrating at the party office in Patna. Soon, posters reading “Bihar ka matlab Nitish Kumar” (Bihar means Nitish Kumar) and “Hamaare Bihar ka ek hi star, har baar Nitish Kumar” (Bihar has only one star, every time Nitish Kumar) appeared across the Bihar capital. Through this, the JD(U) attempted to send a clear message to its NDA partners, “Nitish Kumar was, is, and will remain the Chief Minister of Bihar.” Earlier, a hoarding featuring CM Nitish Kumar with the tagline “Tiger abhi zinda hai” (The tiger is still alive) was installed outside the JD(U) office in Patna. It was seen as a reflection of the political mood among JD(U) leaders and workers, projecting the party’s strength within the NDA and highlighting Nitish Kumar’s political vitality. NIKHIL VYAS N
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