By Ananya Sharma 
Patna, November 14: Through the long, steady hours of counting, one thing became obvious inside Bihar’s political circles. The NDA was not just leading. It was pulling ahead with the kind of comfort that allows parties to start thinking about government formation rather than seat-by-seat suspense. Reports from The Indian Express showed the alliance crossing the 200-seat lead mark in trends, and the mood across party offices shifted accordingly.
Still, the day carried enough twists to remind everyone that Bihar rarely offers a straight script. The biggest jolt came from the JDU’s own official X handle, which briefly announced that Nitish Kumar would continue as Chief Minister. The message flashed, stirred a frenzy, and vanished almost as quickly. That small window told a larger story about where the NDA stands and how carefully it is choosing each step.
Here’s how the pieces fall into place.
A Post That Appeared, Stirred Buzz, And Disappeared
Around 1:27 pm, the JDU’s social media team published a line stating that Nitish would remain the CM, according to NDTV’s report on the incident. It wasn’t a long post. It wasn’t dressed up. It was a simple declaration that signalled confidence inside the party ranks at a moment when trends were already pointing heavily in the NDA’s favour.
According to Jansatta, another version of the same message circulated, claiming Nitish “was, is, and will be the CM.” In any other election cycle, such a post would have stayed online. But today’s announcement lasted only minutes before being taken down.
As it turns out, the deletion said more than the message itself. The JDU simply didn’t want to look overeager while counting was still underway. And with the NDA being a coalition where leadership announcements require careful timing, the party clearly felt the moment wasn’t right to put a stamp on anything.
That said, the fact that the message went up at all shows where internal assessments are leaning.
Why Nitish Remains The Most Likely CM Face
The political maths today tilts in Nitish Kumar’s favour for two reasons.
First, the NDA’s statewide performance is strong enough to take the edge off internal bargaining. With the coalition’s lead climbing rapidly, as reported by The Indian Express, the BJP gains a comfortable buffer. And when the BJP has enough seats to avoid pressure from smaller allies, it tends to choose continuity in states where stability has political value.
Second, Reuters reported earlier in the day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alliance was set to win across much of the Hindi belt. Bihar forms part of that national picture. In a wave election, ally management becomes easier, not harder, because the broader narrative pushes against abrupt leadership experiments.
Nitish benefits from that environment. Even if the BJP finishes with a larger tally, he brings something the party still leans on: administrative familiarity and cross-community acceptability. After nearly two decades in and out of the chief minister’s chair, he remains the one figure who can keep Bihar’s governance apparatus running without friction.
Opposition Trails Remove Suspense From The Race
The second factor shaping the day is the sharp decline in the position of the opposition. Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD’s CM face, is trailing in several seats, according to The Indian Express. His party has been unable to close the gap in rural strongholds or urban pockets, leaving the Mahagathbandhan without momentum.
With the opposition unable to post even symbolic gains in key constituencies, the CM debate has shifted entirely within the NDA. There is nothing on the other side strong enough to interrupt that conversation. Even before results are officially declared, political strategists know that the CM will almost certainly emerge from the NDA bench, and Nitish remains the familiar choice.
The Story Behind The Deleted Announcement
Inside the JDU, the deleted post reveals a mix of confidence and caution. Politicians in Bihar know that an early declaration can sometimes create more internal noise than clarity, especially in a coalition with a strong national partner.
According to NDTV’s reporting, the JDU’s message coincided with a moment when counting trends were large enough to justify confidence. But the removal suggests party leaders wanted to avoid being accused of jumping ahead of the Election Commission’s formal updates.
Still, the internal mood is hard to miss. The JDU wouldn’t have broadcast such a message if there wasn’t broad agreement that Nitish remains the alliance’s most feasible CM.
Where The NDA Equation Stands Now
If the final results stay close to the current trends, the BJP will emerge as the dominant partner in the alliance, with the JDU playing the role of the seasoned administrator. That combination isn’t new. Bihar has seen versions of this setup several times.
The BJP has chosen its moments over the years to push for its own chief minister in the state. Today isn’t one of those moments. No senior BJP leader has floated another name. No pushback came against the JDU’s short-lived declaration. The silence itself hints at an understanding that the alliance doesn’t want to disrupt its own narrative on a high-stakes day.
Still, the NDA’s legislative meeting after the results will make the final call, as it always does. That step remains mandatory, even when the outcome feels predictable.
A Broader Mood Across The Hindi Belt
The Bihar trends mirror a larger national pattern described by Reuters earlier in the day. In several Hindi-speaking states, the NDA has performed strongly, giving the ruling coalition confidence that its messaging has stuck across regions and social groups.
In Bihar’s context, this means the NDA tide has washed over caste blocs that usually anchor opposition gains. It also strengthens the BJP’s hand in alliance negotiations, as wave elections tend to smooth over smaller disagreements.
As a result, the NDA’s leadership question narrows to one choice: go with the known administrator who can ensure continuity or risk unsettling an alliance that is performing well.
What Comes Next
Once counting winds down and the Election Commission publishes the official results, the NDA’s legislative parties will meet. That meeting will produce the name of the alliance’s leader in the Assembly, effectively confirming the next Chief Minister.
Given how the day unfolded, Nitish Kumar stands ahead of the pack. His party’s accidental announcement might have been premature, but it wasn’t uninformed.
For now, the final numbers are still ticking in. However, the political reading across both Patna and New Delhi is converging on the same point: the NDA is firmly on course, and Nitish remains its most likely choice to return as Chief Minister.
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- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
