As the final tallies rolled in for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the verdict was clear: the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had secured a decisive mandate. While celebrations erupted across BJP cadres in Patna and Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi swiftly pivoted from Bihar’s triumph to a direct, pointed message for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, effectively transforming the Bihar victory into a sharp “jungle raj” caution for her administration.
The Bihar election, keenly watched as a barometer of public sentiment in the Hindi heartland, saw the NDA overcome significant challenges to form the government. For the BJP, this victory was not merely about retaining power in Bihar but about demonstrating the continued resonance of its core messages of development, good governance, and a strong stance against alleged corruption and dynastic politics. However, the post-victory address by PM Modi quickly shifted focus, underscoring the party’s broader strategic vision for eastern India, particularly West Bengal.
The Bihar Mandate and the ‘Jungle Raj’ Echo
The BJP’s campaign in Bihar had consistently hammered the theme of bringing an end to the “jungle raj” – a term historically associated with periods of alleged lawlessness and misgovernance under previous regimes in the state. By securing a clear victory, the party claimed a popular endorsement for its vision of order and development. In his victory speech, PM Modi congratulated the people of Bihar for choosing stability and progress, before issuing a veiled yet unmistakable warning.
Addressing party workers, the Prime Minister stated, “The people of Bihar have voted for development and good governance, unequivocally rejecting the politics of fear and corruption that seeks to undermine progress. This message resonates far beyond our borders, reaching those states where similar forces attempt to stifle progress and democracy, trapping citizens in an era they thought was long past.” This was widely interpreted as a direct volley aimed at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, which the BJP has consistently accused of fostering a “jungle raj” marked by political violence and misrule.
The term “jungle raj”, loaded with connotations of lawlessness and anarchic governance, is a powerful rhetorical weapon. In the Bihar context, it evoked memories of socio-economic backwardness and administrative failures. By linking this victory to a warning for Bengal, Modi sought to project the Bihar outcome as a template for what awaits states currently perceived by the BJP as suffering from similar governance deficiencies.
Bengal’s Battleground: Modi’s Eastern Imperative
The BJP’s unwavering focus on West Bengal post-Bihar is no accident. The state represents one of the party’s most ambitious expansion frontiers in its quest for pan-Indian dominance. Despite making significant inroads in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and emerging as the principal opposition in the 2021 Assembly polls, the BJP has struggled to unseat Mamata Banerjee’s formidable TMC. The Bihar win provides fresh impetus and a psychological advantage.
The “jungle raj” narrative is particularly potent in West Bengal, where the BJP has repeatedly highlighted instances of alleged post-poll violence, political killings, and corruption scandals such as the teachers’ recruitment scam and cattle smuggling. For the BJP, the Bihar results offer a narrative that people are ready to reject such governance models. The party aims to convince the Bengali electorate that a change, similar to what Bihar supposedly embraced, is overdue.
Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, predictably, has dismissed such rhetoric as baseless political opportunism. TMC leaders often counter by pointing to the state’s welfare schemes, economic growth, and the alleged misuse of central agencies against opposition parties. They argue that the BJP’s narrative is an attempt to destabilize non-BJP governments and undermine the federal structure.
Strategic Calculations: Fueling the Eastern Push
The Bihar victory and its immediate weaponization against West Bengal underscore the BJP’s meticulous strategic planning for the upcoming electoral cycles. By drawing parallels between the historical context of “jungle raj” in Bihar and its current allegations against the TMC in Bengal, the BJP aims to create a compelling, emotionally charged narrative. This strategy serves multiple purposes:
- It attempts to consolidate anti-incumbency sentiments against the TMC.
- It energizes BJP’s Bengal unit, providing a morale boost after previous electoral setbacks.
- It frames the choice before the Bengal electorate in stark terms: development and order versus alleged chaos and corruption.
The political landscape in Eastern India remains fiercely contested. With Bihar seemingly back in the BJP’s fold, at least for now, the spotlight irrevocably shifts to Bengal. PM Modi’s strategic pronouncement following the Bihar results is a clear signal that the battle for Bengal, intense as it already is, is about to enter an even more aggressive phase, with the ghost of “jungle raj” now a key player in the political discourse.
The coming months will reveal whether this cautionary tale from Bihar resonates with the voters of West Bengal or if Mamata Banerjee’s “Didi” magic continues to defy the BJP’s relentless eastern push.
