Patna:
Its a landslide victory for the JDU-BJP alliance in Bihar. But look at the fine print, and it's evident - comparatively the BJP has done better than the JDU. ''It's a huge majority for the NDA. The BJP and the JDU workers won the trust of people,'' says Nitish Kumar, all set for a second term at the helm of Bihar.
In the last elections, the JDU had 88 seats compared to the BJP's 55. This time while Nitish Kumar's charisma and the development plank helped JDU get 27 more seats, taking their tally to 115, the BJP increased its tally by 36.
The question that emerges out of this changed equation - Will this buoyant BJP create more headaches for its alliance partner? Already, its leaders have invited Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to the swearing-in ceremony. ''We will call Narendra Modi for the swearing-in,'' says Giriraj Singh of the BJP.
Nitish Kumar had steadfastly refused to let Modi campaign fearing communal repercussions. Observers say Nitish Kumar may not be able to afford his pre-election aggression against his party's ally of 15 years, but the JDU still holds a key card which the BJP cannot disregard - Nitish Kumar's unmatched talisman of development. Add to that, the BJP does not have a leader in Bihar who can match Nitish in stature.
Both sides say nothing has changed within the allaince. "Our alliance is intact,'' reassured Nitish Kumar.
The BJP upswing in Bihar may come as a huge boost for the party in national politics, but vis-a-vis the JDU, it's a status quo - at least for now.