BJP's Historic Ascent to Power in Bihar: A Journey Decades in the Making
In a momentous political shift, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has achieved a long-awaited milestone by forming its government in Bihar for the first time, a development that has ignited jubilation within the saffron camp. This triumph traces back to the prophetic words of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who declared at the BJP's inaugural convention in Mumbai on April 6, 1980, "Andhera chhatega, suraj niklega, kamal khilega" (The darkness will vanish, the Sun will rise and the lotus—BJP's poll symbol—will bloom). Today, that vision has materialized in Bihar, but the path to this victory was neither swift nor straightforward.
A Long and Arduous Political Journey
The BJP's political footprint in Bihar began modestly, with the party contesting the 1980 assembly elections shortly after its formation and securing just 21 seats in the then 324-member assembly. Over the decades, this number has swelled to 89 seats in the current 243-member Bihar assembly, reflecting a steady and systematic growth. Senior BJP leaders attribute this rise to foundational figures like Kailashpati Mishra, Ashwini Kumar, Jagdambi Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, and Sushil Kumar Modi, who laid the groundwork amid challenging circumstances.
Prem Ranjan Patel, a senior BJP leader, emphasized the dual strategy that fueled their ascent: "We had to struggle a lot to reach this stage. On the one hand, we aggressively raised people's issues, on the other we tried to reach out to all sections of society." This approach involved grassroots mobilization, often using humble means such as horse carts, rickshaws, and bullock carts to connect with voters, as noted by former governor Ganga Prasad.
Key Electoral Milestones and Alliances
The BJP's electoral trajectory in Bihar has been marked by fluctuations and strategic pivots:
- In 1985, the party's seat count dipped to 16, but it rebounded in 1990, winning 39 seats and supporting the Janata Dal to form a government.
- This alliance dissolved over the Ram temple issue, triggered by then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad's arrest of BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and the halting of his Rath Yatra in Bihar.
- Subsequent elections saw the BJP secure 41 seats in 1995, 67 in 2000, and 37 in February of the same year, with a turning point in October when it won 55 seats and, with JD(U) support, formed the NDA government.
- The party's influence peaked in the 2010 assembly polls with 91 seats, though Chief Minister Nitish Kumar later parted ways with the BJP, only to return in a recurring pattern of alliance shifts.
This cycle of alliance and rupture has defined Bihar's politics, with Nitish Kumar switching sides multiple times—most notably after the 2015, 2020, and 2024 elections—before ultimately aligning with the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His decision to hand over power to the BJP has surprised many, given the history of discord.
Factors Behind the BJP's Growth
The BJP's rise in Bihar was fueled by a combination of strategic maneuvering and opposition missteps. A former minister highlighted how the party capitalized on the RJD's rule under Lalu Prasad, stating: "We benefited a lot from Lalu's misrule. The number of caste conflicts, Lalu's slogan of 'Bhu-Ra-Bal saf karo,' his involvement in the fodder scam, and the lawlessness during the RJD rule created a strong ground for the BJP's growth." This environment eroded the RJD's base, leaving it reliant primarily on Muslim and Yadav communities, while the BJP garnered broader support.
Ganga Prasad summed up the collaborative success: "Milkar ladne se fayda hua" (we benefited a lot after fighting elections together with Nitish). Today, the BJP and JD(U) operate in close coordination, with no visible internal discord, signaling a stable partnership that has finally brought the lotus to full bloom in Bihar.
