India, Nov. 14 -- The conventional political wisdom about Nitish Kumar in Bihar - of managing friends and foe alike - appears to be coming home with a vengeance not many had anticipated.

Early trends in results for the Bihar election 2025 suggested that the state's longest serving chief minister is all set to further extend his tenure to a ninth term. On August 10, 2022, he was sworn in as the chief minister of the state for the eighth time in 22 years.

As the trends streamed in, it became clear that Nitish Kumar may have killed two birds with one stone. His improved performance consolidates his position within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), vis-a-vis the senior partner BJP. Two, his victory at home ensures that his principal r...