Lesser youth, more women in new House

NEW DELHI: The astronomical victory of the NDA by securing 202 of the 243 seats in the recent Bihar Assembly polls forms the focus of the report published by the PRS Legislative Research.While the BJP finished with 89 seats, and JD(U) with 85, the RJD fell sharply to 25 seats. This shift suggests a public mood that leaned toward continuity in governance and familiar leadership rather than experimentation. Some voters who had earlier alternated between alliances appear to have prioritised stability amid economic and social strain, and this is visible in the high return rate of incumbents, the report said.Of the 250 MLAs who had served in the previous Assembly, 192 contested again and 111 won, a success rate of 58%. Former ministers also gained from public recognition, as 39 of the 49 who contested were re-elected. Women reached their highest representation so far with 29 MLAs, forming 12% of the House. Many among them are younger, with 13 between 25 and 39 years. Yet half of them do not have college degrees, reflecting both the social constraints they face and the persistence of uneven access to higher education.Voters often appear to favour candidates who have strong social presence rather than formal qualifications, and this is visible in the overall educational distribution. Forty per cent of all MLAs do not have a college degree even as the number of postgraduates has risen since 2020. The Assembly also grew older.



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