'As the Ganga flows from Bihar to Bengal...': PM Modi sets sights on West Bengal after NDA’s landslide win
In his victory address, Modi used the sweeping verdict not just as a celebration of Bihar but as a springboard for broader national politics. “Today’s win has energised BJP workers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal,” he said, drawing a political arc directly from Patna to Kolkata.
- Nov 14, 2025,
- Updated Nov 14, 2025 9:21 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday framed the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) sweeping victory in the Bihar assembly elections as a reaffirmation of the politics of development, welfare and social justice — while simultaneously using the mandate to send a sharp electoral message to states headed for polls next year.
Calling it a “historic and unprecedented” verdict, Modi said the people of Bihar had endorsed the NDA’s governance model and given the alliance a renewed mandate to take the state to “new heights.” The NDA, comprising the BJP, JD(U) and smaller allies including the LJP-RV, HAM and RLM, led in 204 of the 243 seats, putting the opposition Mahagathbandhan far behind with just 33 seats — 81 fewer than its tally in the 2020 elections.
In his victory address, Modi used the sweeping verdict not just as a celebration of Bihar but as a springboard for broader national politics. “Today’s win has energized BJP workers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal,” he said, drawing a political arc directly from Patna to Kolkata. In a pointed message aimed at the Trinamool Congress, Modi declared that “as the Ganga flows from Bihar to Bengal, Bihar has also paved the way for the BJP’s victory in Bengal,” promising that the party, “together with the people,” would uproot “Jungle Raj” from West Bengal.
This framing marks a strategic move by the BJP to leverage the Bihar verdict as momentum ahead of the upcoming political season — a signal that the party sees in the mandate not just a state-level endorsement but a national political cue.
Modi also extended congratulations to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and allies Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha, in a coordinated display of NDA unity. The alliance’s cohesion had been under scrutiny during the campaign, particularly given Nitish Kumar’s political reversals over the past few years. But the results, Modi suggested, were an endorsement of stability under the NDA umbrella.
The Prime Minister thanked NDA workers for what he described as relentless on-ground work, attributing the landslide to their grassroots mobilisation and the government’s track record. He also promised a renewed focus on infrastructure, cultural identity and expanded opportunities for youth and women in the next phase of governance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday framed the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) sweeping victory in the Bihar assembly elections as a reaffirmation of the politics of development, welfare and social justice — while simultaneously using the mandate to send a sharp electoral message to states headed for polls next year.
Calling it a “historic and unprecedented” verdict, Modi said the people of Bihar had endorsed the NDA’s governance model and given the alliance a renewed mandate to take the state to “new heights.” The NDA, comprising the BJP, JD(U) and smaller allies including the LJP-RV, HAM and RLM, led in 204 of the 243 seats, putting the opposition Mahagathbandhan far behind with just 33 seats — 81 fewer than its tally in the 2020 elections.
In his victory address, Modi used the sweeping verdict not just as a celebration of Bihar but as a springboard for broader national politics. “Today’s win has energized BJP workers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal,” he said, drawing a political arc directly from Patna to Kolkata. In a pointed message aimed at the Trinamool Congress, Modi declared that “as the Ganga flows from Bihar to Bengal, Bihar has also paved the way for the BJP’s victory in Bengal,” promising that the party, “together with the people,” would uproot “Jungle Raj” from West Bengal.
This framing marks a strategic move by the BJP to leverage the Bihar verdict as momentum ahead of the upcoming political season — a signal that the party sees in the mandate not just a state-level endorsement but a national political cue.
Modi also extended congratulations to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and allies Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha, in a coordinated display of NDA unity. The alliance’s cohesion had been under scrutiny during the campaign, particularly given Nitish Kumar’s political reversals over the past few years. But the results, Modi suggested, were an endorsement of stability under the NDA umbrella.
The Prime Minister thanked NDA workers for what he described as relentless on-ground work, attributing the landslide to their grassroots mobilisation and the government’s track record. He also promised a renewed focus on infrastructure, cultural identity and expanded opportunities for youth and women in the next phase of governance.