ISAS Insights

The emphatic triumph of the grand alliance, led by Mr Nitish Kumar and Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, in the recent Assembly elections in the eastern Indian State of Bihar marks a political setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had campaigned vigorously, thereby raising the stakes in the polls. The grand alliance was successful due to the formation of a formidable caste coalition and the personal popularity of Mr Nitish Kumar. Mr Modi will have to find ways of mitigating the impact of this defeat on his government's agenda at the centre as well as rethink his party's strategies in the coming Assembly elections.