What is the story about?
The Assembly elections in Delhi and Bihar in 2025 delivered decisive outcomes that have significantly altered the country's political equations, strengthening the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) while exposing deep challenges for the opposition.
Delhi: BJP consolidates its urban dominance
The Delhi election result reinforced the BJP's expanding footprint in the national capital, with voters backing the party's governance-focused campaign and national leadership narrative. The verdict marked a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had dominated the capital's politics for over a decade.
The outcome prompted introspection within AAP over organisational cohesion, leadership focus and the future of its welfare-centric model beyond Delhi. For the BJP, the result strengthened its position and bolstered its appeal among middle-class and first-time voters.
The BJP won 48 of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, AAP reduced to 22 and Congress drew a blank. In a major setback for the AAP, its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal lost the New Delhi seat to the BJP’s Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes.
Vice Presidential election (September 2025)
The post of the country's second-highest constitutional office also got vacant after former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar announced his resignation citing health issues on July 21 — the first day of the Parliament's Monsoon Session.
Elections for the same were held on September 9. The NDA nominee, CP Radhakrishnan, won the bid, securing 452 of the 752 valid votes, defeating former Supreme Court Justice B Sudershan Reddy — the Opposition candidate.
Bihar: NDA secures a sweeping, clear mandate
In Bihar, the election delivered a clean and emphatic verdict in favour of the NDA, which swept the state with a comfortable majority. The result underlined the alliance's strong organisational network, effective booth-level mobilisation and the continued resonance of its leadership and welfare outreach.
The NDA won 202 of the 243 seats. The Opposition, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), won only 35 seats.
The decisive mandate left little room for post-poll manoeuvring and reaffirmed the NDA's dominance in the politically crucial Hindi heartland. It also dealt a severe blow to opposition formations, which failed to mount a credible challenge.
Setback for new political experiments
Despite extensive campaigning and grassroots outreach, alternative political experiments were unable to convert visibility into votes, highlighting the difficulty of breaking entrenched electoral structures without alliances or deep organisational roots.
The BJP successfully brought all its allies onboard, resulting in the consolidation of votes and thus a huge mandate.
Opposition unity under strain
Taken together, the Delhi and Bihar verdicts have further weakened Opposition cohesion at the national level. Repeated electoral setbacks have reduced the Congress's leverage within Opposition alliances, while regional parties are increasingly prioritising state-specific strategies over a unified national front.
Implications for national politics
The twin victories have strengthened the BJP-led NDA's political momentum heading into the next electoral cycle. The results reinforce the alliance’s governance-led campaign approach and its ability to capitalise on a fragmented opposition.
The road ahead
The outcomes of 2025 have created the backdrop for a politically intense 2026, when Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry and Assam will go to polls. Regional parties in Opposition will bat for a bigger share in the seat sharing, courtesy Congress's electoral performance and grassroot cadre strength.
Delhi: BJP consolidates its urban dominance
The Delhi election result reinforced the BJP's expanding footprint in the national capital, with voters backing the party's governance-focused campaign and national leadership narrative. The verdict marked a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had dominated the capital's politics for over a decade.
The outcome prompted introspection within AAP over organisational cohesion, leadership focus and the future of its welfare-centric model beyond Delhi. For the BJP, the result strengthened its position and bolstered its appeal among middle-class and first-time voters.
The BJP won 48 of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, AAP reduced to 22 and Congress drew a blank. In a major setback for the AAP, its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal lost the New Delhi seat to the BJP’s Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes.
Vice Presidential election (September 2025)
The post of the country's second-highest constitutional office also got vacant after former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar announced his resignation citing health issues on July 21 — the first day of the Parliament's Monsoon Session.
Elections for the same were held on September 9. The NDA nominee, CP Radhakrishnan, won the bid, securing 452 of the 752 valid votes, defeating former Supreme Court Justice B Sudershan Reddy — the Opposition candidate.
Bihar: NDA secures a sweeping, clear mandate
In Bihar, the election delivered a clean and emphatic verdict in favour of the NDA, which swept the state with a comfortable majority. The result underlined the alliance's strong organisational network, effective booth-level mobilisation and the continued resonance of its leadership and welfare outreach.
The NDA won 202 of the 243 seats. The Opposition, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), won only 35 seats.
The decisive mandate left little room for post-poll manoeuvring and reaffirmed the NDA's dominance in the politically crucial Hindi heartland. It also dealt a severe blow to opposition formations, which failed to mount a credible challenge.
Setback for new political experiments
Despite extensive campaigning and grassroots outreach, alternative political experiments were unable to convert visibility into votes, highlighting the difficulty of breaking entrenched electoral structures without alliances or deep organisational roots.
The BJP successfully brought all its allies onboard, resulting in the consolidation of votes and thus a huge mandate.
Opposition unity under strain
Taken together, the Delhi and Bihar verdicts have further weakened Opposition cohesion at the national level. Repeated electoral setbacks have reduced the Congress's leverage within Opposition alliances, while regional parties are increasingly prioritising state-specific strategies over a unified national front.
Implications for national politics
The twin victories have strengthened the BJP-led NDA's political momentum heading into the next electoral cycle. The results reinforce the alliance’s governance-led campaign approach and its ability to capitalise on a fragmented opposition.
The road ahead
The outcomes of 2025 have created the backdrop for a politically intense 2026, when Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry and Assam will go to polls. Regional parties in Opposition will bat for a bigger share in the seat sharing, courtesy Congress's electoral performance and grassroot cadre strength.
