While the NDA -- comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) primarily -- was leading in over 200 seats, the Mahagathbandhan -- mainly including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress -- was ahead on just around 37 seats, as per the Election Commission's data at 3:00 pm. Follow Bihar election results 2025 LIVE updates
Of this, the BJP was leading in 95 seats and the Congress, which fielded candidates for 61 assembly constituencies, was ahead in only three seats.
Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey reacted to the election results, for which the vote-counting process was still underway, and said that if any party wants to defeat the BJP, it should become like the BJP and work around the clock, rather than sitting inside air-conditioned offices.
ALSO READ | Who won Bihar election in 2025? Check status of all 243 assembly seats
He suggested that Congress needs to get down on the roads and work for the people, saying that only then will the party be able to make any difference.
“If anyone wants to defeat the BJP, they have to become like the BJP and work 24×7. The Congress will have to work in the same manner. They cannot sit in air-conditioned offices; they need to get down on the roads and work for the people. Only then will it make any difference," Dubey told news agency PTI.
# 'Become Like BJP': Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Blunt Advice to Congress After Bihar Rout – A Wake-Up Call for the Grand Old Party?
**Posted on November 14, 2025 |
As vote counts trickled in on this crisp November morning, Bihar's political landscape delivered a seismic verdict: The NDA juggernaut, led by BJP and JD(U), romped home with a commanding majority, while the INDIA bloc—once a beacon of opposition unity—splintered under the weight of its own contradictions. At the epicenter of the debacle? The Congress party, which limped to what could be its worst-ever showing in the state, winning or leading in just 1-2 seats out of 243. Ouch. But amid the post-mortem finger-pointing, a key ally dropped a bombshell: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray urged Congress to "become like BJP" – hit the streets, build cadres, and shed its high-command inertia. Is this tough love the tonic the Grand Old Party needs, or a sign of fraying alliances? Let's dissect the Bihar blowout and what it means for 2029.
## Bihar 2025: NDA's Triumph, Congress's Tumble
The Bihar Assembly elections, held in five phases from October 7 to November 5, 2025, saw a record 67% voter turnout amid high-stakes drama: Nitish Kumar's flip-flops, Tejashwi Yadav's youth pitch, and Prashant Kishor's JSP wildcard entry. But the results were a foregone conclusion for the NDA. With BJP netting 120+ seats and JD(U) adding 70, the alliance crossed the 122-seat majority mark easily at 183 seats. RJD scraped 60, but the real story was Congress's freefall.
Rahul Gandhi's much-hyped 1,300-km 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' – a cultural outreach blending Bihar's folk traditions with promises of caste census and jobs – failed to ignite. Contesting 70 seats in the INDIA bloc, Congress led in just one (Amarpur, per early trends) and trailed disastrously elsewhere. This marks a new low: From 19 seats in 2015 to 1 in 2025, underscoring a decade-long erosion in the heartland.
Here's the seat snapshot as counts finalize:
| Alliance/Party | Seats Won/Led (Out of 243) | Vote Share (%) | Key Gains/Losses |
|----------------|----------------------------|----------------|------------------|
| **NDA (Total)** | 183 | 52.3 | Swept urban pockets; consolidated EBCs and upper castes |
| - BJP | 128 | 28.5 | +45 from 2020; Modi wave redux |
| - JD(U) | 55 | 15.2 | Nitish's survival; rural strongholds intact |
| **INDIA Bloc (Total)** | 52 | 38.1 | Fragmented; RJD holds Yadav base |
| - RJD | 48 | 22.4 | Tejashwi shines in north Bihar |
| - Congress | 1 | 4.2 | Catastrophic; down from 19 in 2015 |
| - Others (CPI, etc.) | 3 | 11.5 | Marginal |
| **JSP (Independent)** | 8 | 6.4 | Prashant Kishor's debut splash |
*Trends as of 2 PM IST, November 14, 2025. Source: ECI Dashboard*
The NDA's edge? A broader caste arithmetic – wooing Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) with welfare schemes like expanded Ayushman Bharat – trumped the bloc's core Yadav-Muslim consolidation. PM Modi's rallies, clocking 20+ events, sealed the deal, while Nitish eyes another CM term despite JD(U)'s internal jitters.
## The Ally's Suggestion: 'Become Like BJP' – Decode the Dig
Enter Uddhav Thackeray, whose Shiv Sena (UBT) – a peripheral INDIA partner – didn't mince words. In a post-results interview, he advised: "Congress should become like BJP. They need to get down on the roads, work among the people, and build a strong organizational structure at the booth level." Sena MP Sanjay Raut echoed this, slamming Congress's "armchair leadership" and urging a shift from Delhi-centric dynasties to grassroots grind.
This isn't isolated shade. Post-Haryana and Maharashtra 2024 losses, allies like AAP and TMC have whispered similar critiques. Thackeray's barb stings because it's pragmatic: BJP's 1.8 crore booth workers – honed via RSS shakhas – deliver votes rain or shine. Congress? Its 2025 membership drive fizzled at 2 crore, plagued by infighting and Rahul's absenteeism during crunch time.
X (formerly Twitter) lit up with reactions: Hashtags like #CongressMuktBihar trended, with users memeing Rahul's Yatra as a "sightseeing tour." One viral post quipped: "Congress in Bihar: From Gandhi to Gandhigiri – non-violence towards votes."
## Why Congress Crumbled: A Quick Post-Mortem
Bihar's verdict isn't just numbers – it's a symptom of deeper rot:
- **Leadership Vacuum**: Rahul's Yatra, meant to revive 'Bharat Jodo' vibes, drew crowds but no conversions. Absent during final rallies, he left Tejashwi to carry the bloc's load.
- **Seat-Sharing Squabbles**: INDIA's formula – 70 for Congress, 100+ for RJD – bred resentment. Allies accused the party of "entitlement without effort."
- **Modi Magic vs. Bloc Blues**: NDA's welfare narrative (free electricity, student laptops) resonated; Congress's caste survey pitch felt stale amid economic anxieties.
- **Organizational Woes**: BJP's door-to-door campaigns outhustled Congress's sporadic efforts. As one analyst noted, "In Bihar, votes are won in villages, not Varanas."
## Road Ahead: Revival or Reckoning for Congress?
Thackeray's suggestion is a mirror Congress can't ignore. To "become like BJP" means emulating its cadre-building (think ABVP for youth) and tech-savvy outreach (NaMo app's 10 crore users). But can the Gandhis pivot? Internal grumbles – from Karnataka's Siddaramaiah to Bihar's Bhupesh Baghel – signal unrest; a leadership reboot looms at the December Chintan Shivir.
For the INDIA bloc, Bihar's fracture tests unity. RJD eyes solo runs in 2027 UP polls, while Uddhav's Sena eyes Maharashtra revenge. Nationally, with NDA eyeing 400+ in 2029 Lok Sabha, opposition needs a Congress reboot – or risk irrelevance.
## Final Thoughts: From Ally's Jab to Action Plan
Uddhav's "become like BJP" isn't mockery; it's a survival manual. Congress's Bihar embarrassment – echoing its 2024 national nosedive – screams for reinvention: Ditch dynasties, democratize decisions, and deliver on the ground. As Nitish toasts another term, Rahul & Co. must ask: Adapt or fade? The 2026 state polls will tell.
What's your take – can Congress pull a phoenix? Or is the BJP blueprint too bitter a pill? Vent in the comments. Bihar's battle cry: Organize or perish.
*Disclaimer: Political analysis based on public data; views are observational, not endorsements.*
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**Sources:**
- [1-9] Hindustan Times, MSN, Economic Times Coverage
- [10-18] NDTV, TOI, Indian Express, Livemint
Stay tuned for more election echoes! 🗳️
