New Delhi, Nov. 14 -- The Bihar election has delivered political continuity. The coalition likely to form the government in Patna is made of parties that are familiar with one another and aligned with the Union government. This alignment creates a window of stability that Bihar has not often enjoyed. Stability alone does not produce development, but it creates the conditions for a more coherent strategy. The task ahead is to convert political calm into developmental momentum.

Bihar's new government will begin its term facing structural constraints: limited fiscal space, low administrative capacity and a narrow economic base. Yet, the state also has strengths-a young population, a culture of migration-linked enterprise and rising public e...