Modi’s Alliance Retains Key India State in Tight Poll Fight

The ruling coalition’s victory defied exit poll predictions
Modi’s popularity endures pandemic, economic downturn

Narendra Modi at an election rally in Bihar on Oct. 23. The BJP has been facing tougher-than-expected battles in the state polls that have followed Modi’s sweeping victory to a second term in office in May 2019. — Narendra Modi at an election rally in Bihar on Oct. 23. The BJP has been facing tougher-than-expected battles in the state polls that have followed Modi’s sweeping victory to a second term in office in May 2019.
Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg

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By Bibhudatta Pradhan

November 11, 2020 at 1:56 AM UTC

Updated on

November 11, 2020 at 5:35 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, which is in coalition with the ruling alliance in Bihar, retained control of the eastern state after an election battle that went down to the wire.

The final vote count overnight saw the ruling alliance pull ahead with 125 seats in the 243-member state assembly. The opposition grouping, led by the charismatic 31-year-old politician Tejashwi Yadav, won 110 seats.