CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ bengaluru l Saturday l november 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION VOTE SWING BJP saw positive swing of 0.28% votes vis-a-vis 2020; for JD(U), it was 3.55%. Vote share of Chirag’s party dropped by 0.81% BJP :89 +15 JD(U) :85 +42 LJP(Rv) :19 +18 Oth :9 +5 NDA: 202 Congress workers celebrate the party’s victory in the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency bypoll at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Friday | PTI | Report: P9 MGB: 35 RJD : 25 -50 CONG : 06 -13 Left : 03 -14 Oth : 1 VOTE SWING RJD lost 50 seats while registering a negative vote swing of -0.5%; Cong lost -0.87% votes as compared to 2022; Left’s share dipped by -0.3% The Congress party has become ‘Muslimleegi Maowadi Congress’ or TOTAL SEATS: 243 Majority: 122 MMC. It will witness NDA gets three-fourths majority; BJP single-largest party with about 90% strike rate; JD(U) close behind; a big split soon Seat difference compared to 2020 Bihar polls Seat difference compared to 2020 Bihar polls NiMo LANDSLIDE bickering INDIA bloc swept away; RJD suffers heavy drubbing; second-worst performance by Congress — Narendra Modi, prime minister The NDA has achieved a massive majority by demonstrating complete unity. I thank all NDA partners. Bihar will progress even further and will be included in the category of the most developed states in the country — Nitish Kumar, chief minister r a m a s h a n k a r @ Patna T HE ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) scored a victory for ages in the Bihar Assembly election on Friday , securing a commanding three-fourths majority While the . NDA bagged 202 seats in the 243-member assembly, the RJD‑Congress combine was not even close, garnering a meagre 35 seats. The drubbing pushed the alliance to the periphery of Bihar’s political landscape. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 89 seats, while JD(U) won 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5, and RLM 4. The opposition Mahagathbandhan suffered a crushing defeat: RJD won 25 seats, Congress 6, CPI(ML) 2, and CPM 1. The BJP and JD(U) contested 101 seats each, while LJP(RV) fielded candidates in 28. Hyderabad MP Asasuddin Owaisi’s party — All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) — maintained its stronghold in Muslim dominated Bihar’s Seemanchal region, winning five of the 23 seats it contested in this region. AIMIM’s vote share has also increased from 1.3 per cent in 2020 to 1.85 per cent in 2025. For the Congress, this election is befuddling. It marked its second-worst performance in Bihar’s electoral history just short of , 2010 when it won four seats in another NDA landside year. This year’s election recorded a historic voter turnout of 66.91%— the highest since 1951. Women voters led with 71.6% participation, outpacing men (62.8%). Historically rising turnout has triggered government change , thrice in Bihar: 1967 (+7%, Congress ousted), 1980 (+6.8%), and 1990 (+5.7%, Congress again removed). But in 2025, the NDA defied that trend, delivering a blow to the Mahagathbandhan since there was no anti-incumbency against the Nitish government. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reinforced his political relevance through bold policies, including women’s reservation laws and welfare schemes for economically backward classes (EBCs). Despite concerns over age and health, Nitish passed the test of endurance and public trust. JD(U) retained strong support among Kurmi-Kushwaha communities, EBCs, women, and Dalits. Women voters were decisively consolidated via initiatives like Mahila Rojgar Yojana. Unlike 2020, when Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) dented JD(U)’s vote share, the 2025 polls saw complete NDA cohesion. A primarily development narrative saw the NDA storm traditional Mahagathbandhan strongholds in Magadh and Shahabad, while boosting gains in Muslim-majority Seemanchal and Kosi. It further solidified in Mithilanchal, Champaran, and Tirhut. The NDA was able to breach Muslim-dominated seats, fracturing the opposition. AIMIM and Jan Suraaj Party split votes, cracking RJD’s MY (Muslim-Yadav) base. Yadavs stayed loyal to RJD, but many Muslims shifted to Nitish Kumar’s JD(U). At the other end of the spectrum, the Congress hit rock bottom, winning just 6 of 61 seats—down from 19 of 70 in 2020. “The people of Bihar have taken the state by storm,” PM Narendra Modi told jubilant supporters in Delhi. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, set to take oath for a record 10th time, thanked voters and attributed the victory to people’s trust and the Centre’s support. This result is truly surprising. We could not achieve victory in a poll that was not fair from the beginning. The Congress and the INDIA bloc will review this result and make efforts to save democracy even more effective — Rahul Gandhi, LoP in Lok Sabha Was it an election in Bihar as the outcome shows? No joblessness? Pain of migration fiction? Health and education doesn’t matter? Issues raised by @yadavtejashwi would remain core Bihari concern forever JD(U) members pose alongside a flex board of Nitish Kumar, in Patna on Friday | PTI PM Narendra Modi waves at supporters at BJP headquarters in New Delhi | Shekhar yadav 10th term gift to man of the moment, Nitish Modi attributes it to new M-Y — Mahila and Youth r a m a s h a n k a r @ Patna r a j e s h k u m a r t h a k u r @ New Delhi WHEN the dust settles after Bihar’s high-voltage election, a singular truth will remain etched on the political map of the state: Nitish Kumar, the war veteran, still reigns supreme. At 74, the Janata Dal (United) chief is poised to take oath as chief minister for an unprecedented tenth time, steering the National Democratic Alliance to a gargantuan victory . Few leaders in modern India embody political survival like Nitish. Once taunted for shifting alliances at whim, Kumar has defied labels and fatigue alike, remaking himself to stay in tune with the state’s political nous. His Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana was a masterstroke, transferring `10,000 each to 1.4 crore women before the polls. The strategy clicked—women voters outnumbered men by 8.8%, sealing the NDA’s fate across even the Muslimmajority Seemanchal belt. Nitish’s campaign, built on welfare and welfare again, left little room for anti-incumbency Pensions up, electricity free up to 125 . units, and the promise of one crore new jobs—all wrapped in the familiar pledges of development and dignity “People have bha. rosa (faith) in Modi and Nitish,” said BJP’s Vinod Tawade. Outside the JD(U) office, one banner makes the mood unmistakable: “Tiger abhi zinda hai” (the tiger lives on.) PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed the NDA win in Bihar as a vote for pro-people governance and said BJP’s victory march will follow the flow of Ganga from Bihar to Bengal. Addressing workers at BJP headquarters in New Delhi in the evening, PM Modi said the mandate reflects public endorsement of development-focused governance, leaving no room for divisive strategies. He credited Bihar’s youth for voting decisively for the NDA. In a scathing attack on the Congress— which was reduced to its worst-ever tally — Modi accused the party of self-destruction through appeasement. Interestingly he predicted an imminent split in the Congress, , warning allies that “it ruins partners”, citing the RJD’s fate. Mocking Rahul Gandhi’s campaign antics, Modi said, “Some ‘naamdars’ are drowning themselves and their allies.” Opening his address with an invocation, “Jai Chhathi Maiya,” he condemned Congress’s alleged insult to the Bihari festival Chatth. Honouring Mithilanchal’s strong mandate for BJP, he wore a Mithila-painted gamchha (towel) and was garlanded with makhana. The PM unveiled a new “M-Y” formula—Mahila and Youth, and called the verdict a democratic triumph, assuring rapid progress under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. Blast at J&K police stn tied to terror F AYA Z W AN I @ Srinagar A massive explosion took place inside the Nowgam police station on the outskirts of Srinagar late on Friday night amid heightened security in the Valley after the busting of a militant module linked to the Delhi blast. Initial reports said eight personnel were injured in the blast. They were reportedly extracting samples from a massive cache of explosives recently seized in connection with the ‘white-collar’ terror module case. Officials said they fear some casualties because the explosion was very powerful and a number of policemen and officers were present in the station at the time of the blast. Several vehicles parked at the police station also caught fire. Sources said it could most probably be an accidental blast but sabotage angle is also being looked into. It was in the Nowgam police station where the FIR on Jaish-e-Mohammad posters was registered; subsequent investigation led to busting an inter-state ‘white-collar’ militant network comprising medical professionals. The deafening sound of the explosion, which took place around 11.45 pm, shook the entire Nowgam area. It damaged the window and glass panes of many residential houses. Sources said a large quantity of the explosive material, possibly ammonium nitrate, confiscated during the ongoing investigation into the inter-state militant network was kept in the police station. Blast during sampling Officials said the blast occurred while personnel were handling the explosive material that had been brought from Faridabad. The material was part of the 360 kg of explosives recovered from Dr Muzammil Ganaie’s house “The sampling of the seized explosive material was going on. It has been taking place for the last three days. And during the sampling process, the massive blast took place in the police station at night,” they said. It is not immediately known how much quantity of explosive material was present in the police station at the time of the blast. The explosion caused a massive fire in the police station. Locals said there were a few smaller explosions after the massive blast. Firefighters and ambulances rushed to the area to douse the fire and take the injured to the hospitals. Many officials were present in the police station when the explosion took place. Police and paramilitary personnel rushed to the spot and sealed the area. Top security officials would also be visiting the area to take stock of the situation. — Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD leader big winners Tejashwi Samrat Vijay Sinha Yadav (RJD) Choudhary (BJP) Raghopur (BJP) Tarapur Lakhisarai 14,532 45,843 24,940 top losers Mohd. Tej Pratap Shatrughan Shahnawaz Yadav (JJD) Yadav (RJD) (RJD) Baisi Mahua Chapra 8,456 24,940 2,592 V i c t o r y/ d e f e a t M a r g i n INSIDE Sops to women, BJP’s winning mantra | P11 W h e n tr e e s b o w i n s o rr o w . . . Salumarada Thimmakka, state’s eco-warrior, no more B o s k y K h a n n a @ Bengaluru Red fort attack Debris of the house demolished by security forces in Quil village in Pulwama, south Kashmir, on Friday | pti Red Fort bomber Dr Nabi’s Pulwama house demolished Srinagar: Security forces on Friday blew up the house of Dr Umar Nabi, the alleged suicide bomber who drove an explosives-laden car that exploded near Red Fort in Delhi on Monday, killing 13. Sources said Dr Nabi’s house at Quil village in Pulwama in south Kashmir was demolished in the wee hours on Friday, to send a strong message against militants and militancy. Some adjacent houses suffered minor damage in the controlled explosion. The family members were taken out of the house before the demolition. Dr Umar, who emerged as a key figure in the inter-state white-collar militant network, exploded his i20 car near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening after his associates were detained and security agencies were zeroing in on him. Karnataka’s environment and forest ambassador, Salumarada Thimmakka, who was known for her simplicity and child-like nature, breathed her last here on Friday . The 114-year-old environmentalist had been admitted to Apollo Hospital Jayanagar since November 2 for exacerbation of bronchial asthma and lower respiratory tract infection. She suffered a multi-organ failure due to prolonged illness and passed away at noon. “I am called by many names, but the first was Salumarada Ajji because of the trees I had planted,” she told TNIE during her interactions. She planted 385 banyan trees all by herself along a 4 km stretch of the State Highway-94 between Hulikal and Kuddur. “I had no children. When my husband used to go to work, I would be alone, and that was when I took to planting trees. I took care of them like my children. That was when everyone started calling me Salumarada Thimmakka,” she had said. Though not sure of her exact birth date, her birthday was usually celebrated on June 30, 1911. From Gubbi taluk, she was married to Bikkala Chikkayya when she was 19 years old. P8