Bihar's X Factor: How Nitish Kumar's Comeback Sealed NDA's Landslide Victory

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Kumar said, "Nitish Ji was the X factor. People used to think Nitish ji's time was over. There were many speculations about his health. Nitish ji's greatest contribution after the Jungle raaj was to restore law and order. There was no nepotism; there was his personal integrity. The third thing is that people call him Shushashan Babu. He was the most polished product of India's socialist movement."

The former diplomat and renowned author said people decided to "consolidate the existing forces" to stop the return of RJD's "Jungle Raaj," which also harmed the Prashant Kishor's party.

"People of Bihar did not want the jungle raaj of Lalu ji, RJD and Tejashwi to return. So the people decided to consolidate the existing forces that can stop RJD. The vote that could have come to us consolidated to NDA," he said.

Further speaking with ANI, Pavan Kumar said that it has become "very hard to defeat" the ruling parties because they can "open the treasury" before the elections, referring to the distribution of Rs 10,000 to women under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.

"It is very hard to defeat those parties that are in power. This is because the parties in power hold the key to the treasury, while others can only make promises. They can open the treasury and distribute the money. You distributed Rs 10,000, an hour before the modern code of conduct. This affected the election," he said.

Pavan Kumar remained unchanged over the Jan Suraaj's strategy of bringing "systematic change" in Bihar.

"Our message and intentions were right. We gave a message that Bihar needs a systematic change after 30 years of misery, and that systematic change can only come when people understand that they have to vote beyond the caste and religious lines. We fought on an ideology that was a bouquet of extremely important issues. You know Bihar is number one in unemployment, migration. Corruption is so ingrained in the system. We gave a message that we need to change this," he said.

The NDA's 'tsunami' swept away the opposition RJD-led Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party with 89 seats, and the Janata Dal (United) finishing a close second with 85. The other allies of the ruling coalition also registered high strike rates as Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJPRV) won 19, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAMS) won five, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha won four seats.

The ruling NDA got 202 seats, a three-fourths majority in the 243-member House. This is the second time the NDA has crossed the 200-mark in the assembly polls. In the 2010 polls, it had won 206 seats.

Mahagathbandhan got just 35 seats with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning 25 seats, Congress 6, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) - CPI(ML)(L) - two, Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) - one and Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) one seat.

While All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got one seat.

- ANI