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How Yogi’s campaign blitz, Maurya’s backroom strategy contributed to NDA’s Bihar win
Yogi Adityanath addressed a record 30 rallies in support of 43 candidates in 10 days and participated in one roadshow to give momentum to BJP's Bihar campaign.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s whirlwind campaign and the backroom strategy by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya contributed to the National Democratic Alliance’s landslide victory in the Bihar assembly election.
Yogi Adityanath addressed a record 30 rallies in support of 43 candidates in 10 days and participated in one roadshow to give momentum to the party’s election campaign in Bihar where the NDA was in a straight fight with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Grand Alliance.
Adityanath was one of the most active and sought-after star campaigners among the BJP chief ministers in the Bihar polls. Drawing large crowds, his rallies helped the BJP consolidate votes, cutting across caste and community lines.
His “Bulldozer Baba” tag appealed to voters as he attacked the RJD- Congress alliance on the issue of jungle raj, crime and corruption. He cautioned voters with his oft-quoted “batenge toh katenge, ek rahenge toh safe rahenge ((division will lead to destruction)” line and warned that dynastic mafias will loot Bihar if voted to power.
Yogi’s ‘Pappu, Tappu, Appu’ jibe at INDIA bloc star campaigners Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav to highlight that the Opposition leaders were unaware of the development in Bihar under NDA government and the measures taken for the welfare of the people enthused the voters, putting the Opposition on the back foot.
Congratulating party leaders and workers over the resounding victory, Yogi Adityanath in a post on X said the victory is dedicated to workers and office bearers of the BJP-NDA alliance in the Bihar legislative assembly elections, and “salutations to the people and the masses!”
“This historic victory is a stamp of the unwavering trust of the people of Bihar in the development-oriented guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the public-welfare policies of the double-engine government. This mandate is an endorsement of the path of development, good governance, prosperity, and stability on which the new Bihar is advancing with confidence,” he said.
Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, the BJP’s backward face in Uttar Pradesh, was appointed party co-incharge for the Bihar assembly elections by the party’s central leadership. Maurya was tasked with mobilising the support of the non-Yadav OBC community.
As a former BJP state president, he has the experience of working with the party cadre at the grass roots.
He strengthened the organisation and steered the BJP to a big victory in the 2017 assembly election when, after decades, the BJP formed a majority government by bagging 325 seats (with allies) out of the 403 assembly seats. The BJP alone won 312 seats.
Addressing a meeting in Lucknow in the past, Union home minister Amit Shah referred to Maurya as his friend, indicating his stature in the party as an organisation man and strategist who has now fulfilled the task given by the leadership in the Bihar polls.
Maurya’s photo with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav at an airport during the Bihar election campaign went viral on social media. After the NDA victory, Maurya hit out at Akhilesh Yadav with a post on X: “We won Magadh, and we will win Awadh too. We will repeat 2017 in 2027!”
The comment was a reply to Akhilesh’s earlier statement: “We won Awadh in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and will win Magadh in the 2025 Bihar assembly election.”
Maurya said, “Bihar has made it clear today that its trust is in work, good governance and the resolve for a developed Bihar. This victory belongs to every Bihari, who has decisively rejected the politics of jungle raj and appeasement and chosen good governance and development. Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the entire NDA leadership for this resounding victory.”
“At the same time, heartfelt thanks to every worker of BJP from the booth to the state level, who managed the organisation day and night—your dedication and hard work have been the greatest strength behind this historic victory. Very many thanks to the people of Bihar and every Bihari!” Maurya said.
