In Bihar politics, the 10th Assembly election changed the game completely. Lalu Prasad Yadav, as the leader of Janata Dal, formed a non-Congress government with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties. With no major opposition challenge, he smoothly led the government for five years. Jagannath Mishra, once the Chief Minister, shifted to the role of Leader of the Opposition, while Lalu Yadav moved from opposition to the Chief Minister’s chair.
This election proved to be a turning point for Congress. Once the strongest party, it collapsed badly. In the previous election, Congress had won 196 seats, but this time it fell to just 71, losing 125 seats. The wave of VP Singh’s politics at the Center in 1989 also boosted Janata Dal, helping it win 122 seats and secure a stable government.
Congress’s defeat was compared to its 1977 loss after the Emergency. The party secured only 24.78% votes and lost its dominance. Meanwhile, BJP strengthened its position with 39 seats, CPI won 23, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) emerged strongly with 19 seats.
This election reshaped Bihar, showing the rise of BJP and JMM, and the steep decline of Congress.
