NEW DELHI: Bihar poll results show that there is nothing "grand" about the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan. The near-rout of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led front by the JD (U)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) makes it imperative for the Opposition to re-invent itself before the next year's assembly elections. Put simply, it is soul-searching time for Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders.

After the completion of several rounds of counting, the grand old party, the Congress is staring at one of its worst electoral performances in the state. Leading only in a few seats out of the 61 seats it contested, and its strike rate was in single-digits.

In 2020, the RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats. The Congress won 19 seats.

While the NDA's landslide victory is being attributed to its wider caste coalition, the Mahagathbandhan failed to reinvent its social base, although it roped in Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) and the Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) led by IP Gupta.

Though the Opposition was hoping to consolidate its support among various caste groups, particularly the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), even with the entry of VIP, that experiment failed.

The result also shows that the EBCs, who constitute 36.01 percent of the total population of the state, once again emerged as the cornerstone of the NDA’s victory. The Mahagathbandhan’s gamble to announce Mukesh Sahani, the Mallah leader, as Deputy Chief Minister did not pay off. Sahani's party had contested in 12 seats. Another backward caste party, the IIP also failed to draw votes.

The game changer in the election was the overwhelming support for the NDA among women across caste lines. The Rs 10,000 cash transfers and welfare schemes, including lakhpati didis, announced by the NDA ahead of the elections seemed to have helped. The results also show that the Grand Alliance’s focus on unemployment, migration and job creation did not cut ice with the voters.