Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has described the recent Bihar assembly election results as "unnatural and inexplicable," calling for a comprehensive investigation into what he termed a "political mystery." In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express on November 15, 2025, the left leader expressed deep concerns about the democratic implications of the opposition's massive defeat.
The 'Unnatural' Victory
Bhattacharya pointed to what he called the inexplicable nature of the ruling coalition's victory. "This is absolutely unnatural and inexplicable. Because this is like 2010 all over again," he stated. The CPI(ML) leader questioned how a government that had been in power for 20 years and narrowly escaped defeat five years ago, combined with the Modi government that failed to secure its own majority in the Lok Sabha elections just a year earlier, could produce such a decisive victory in 2025.
He emphasized that the results "don't at all correspond to the ground reality of Bihar" and demanded a proper investigation from all angles. Bhattacharya specifically highlighted two factors that he believes significantly influenced the outcome: the SIR (Supplementary Identity Register) and unprecedented cash transfers to voters.
Financial Influence and Voter Behavior
The left leader revealed staggering figures about financial distributions during the election period. "The money transfer which had taken place on an unprecedented scale, something like Rs 30,000 crore rupees for 3 crore beneficiaries in cash and kind... that was also unprecedented, without any parallel," he claimed.
Bhattacharya detailed that the distribution wasn't limited to women voters alone, with approximately 1.4 to 1.5 crore women receiving Rs 10,000 each, while additional benefits reached over 3 crore beneficiaries across various groups. He questioned how a government that had been "non-performing" on corruption and crime issues could suddenly achieve such an overwhelming majority.
Democratic Crisis and Opposition Decimation
The election results represented a complete decimation of the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance, with CPI(ML) Liberation winning only two seats (10% strike rate), while RJD secured close to 20% and Congress won 6 out of 60 contested seats. Bhattacharya framed this not merely as an opposition crisis but as "a crisis of democracy."
He argued that "a democracy without an opposition is an oxymoron" and expressed concern about the broader implications for Indian democracy. The leader contrasted the Bihar results with the BJP's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the party secured only 240 seats and the NDA coalition fell short of 300 seats.
Regarding the SIR's impact, Bhattacharya contradicted claims that it had no resonance with voters. "SIR definitely had a resonance. How else do you explain this increase in vote percentage?" he questioned. He explained that the register had created multiple emotions among voters - anxiety, anger, and fear - with many wanting to "save their vote" due to these concerns.
Road Ahead for Opposition
Despite the devastating defeat, Bhattacharya remained optimistic about the opposition's future. "The road ahead is back to basics," he stated, acknowledging that elections always involve ups and downs. He rejected suggestions that the opposition faced a credibility crisis or lacked a coherent narrative.
The CPI(ML) leader pointed to the Congress party gaining approximately 40 more seats and the opposition's strong performance in Uttar Pradesh during the previous year's Lok Sabha elections, where they won 43 out of 80 seats, as evidence of their continued relevance.
Bhattacharya concluded by emphasizing the need for thorough analysis rather than immediate conclusions, suggesting that "this is one of those downs that we need to overcome" rather than a permanent setback for democratic forces in Bihar and across India.
