This Week in Explainers: How NDA pulled off ‘is baar 200 paar’ in Bihar

It’s been a big week in India. The country remains rattled after a car exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort, in what is now been confirmed as a terror attack. The explosion has claimed the lives of 12 people and injured many others. But it has also resulted in a wider investigation that reveals a sinister terror plot that was brewing against the country.

India also saw a massive National Democratic Alliance (NDA) tsunami in the state of Bihar with voters overwhelmingly choosing the ruling coalition to govern the state for the next five years.

And with the winter’s arrival, comes the perennial woe of Delhi’s air pollution. The Capital continues to struggle to breathe with AQI levels hovering in the ‘very poor to ‘severe’ category.

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For those who missed the big headlines from India this week, worry not as we have you covered — we break down the Bihar election results, the Delhi Red Fort explosion and other stories from the country.

1) On Friday, the results of the Bihar Assembly elections, which were held in two phases, were declared and the mandate delivered was in the favour of the ruling alliance of the NDA, of which the BJP and JD(U) are the two big parties. The NDA’s performance, it has exceeded the 200-mark in a 243-member Assembly, even surpasses Amit Shah’s own expectations — he had earlier said the NDA would garner 160 seats.

But how did the NDA pull off this spectacular victory? Our analysis reveals the factors that helped NDA sail through in this electoral test.

2) Don’t count Nitish Kumar out — that’s one of the biggest takeaways from the Bihar Assembly election results. During the campaign much was said about Kumar’s apparent mental capacity with many in the opposition as well as in the media questioning his political acumen.

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However, the 74-year-old has proved anyone and everyone wrong with these results. The chief minister of Bihar for the last decade has shown that he has what it takes to win an election and then some more.

Read our full report on the man known as ‘Paltu Ram of Indian politics.

3) The win for the NDA in Bihar isn’t just about state politics. It has ramifications that will be seen beyond Patna. The outcome of the Bihar elections will help shape coalition politics nationally. The poor performance of the Mahagathbandhan could also decide the future of the Indi Alliance.

Here's why an NDA win in Bihar is a win for alliance on a national stage too.

4) Every election teaches us something, and what did the Bihar election results prove? The results showed that the apparent diminutive Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has an appeal with the voters of Bihar. The results once again proved that the Congress is the weak link of the Grand Alliance and that the AIMIM as a force is only solidifying its presence. Here’s more on that.

5) Apart from the Bihar Assembly election results, the big news from India has been the Delhi blast near the iconic Red Fort. On Monday evening, a slow-moving i20 suddenly exploded while waiting at a traffic signal, killing a total of 13 people and rattling an entire nation.

Investigations are still ongoing with officials leaving no stone unturned to get to the bottom of this terror attack. So far, authorities have been able to confirm that the man behind the wheel of the exploding car — an i20 — was a Pulwama based doctor, Dr Umar Nabi.

The probe shows that the car was in Delhi a full 11 hours before it exploded near the Red Fort. But what was it doing for so long? Where all did it travel to? 

6) The investigation into the Delhi Red Fort blast has taken officials across the country — from Jammu and Kashmir to Haryana — and it appears that the Al-Falah University in Faridabad has emerged as a key point.

Authorities have found that Room 13 within the premises is where the blast accused stayed and hatched the plan to carry out this attack. It is alleged that Dr Muzammil Shakeel, who hails from Kashmir’s Pulwama met with other radicalised doctors and was plotting coordinated blasts in Delhi and nearby states. The room has now been sealed by the police, who have recovered electronic devices, pen drives during the search.

7) While authorities continue their probe into the Red Fort blast, victims of the explosion continue to recuperate at hospitals. However, some are in extreme grief as they have lost their near and dear ones.

But who are the victims of the blast? Here’s the heart-breaking tales of some of those who died in the terror attack.

8) Shortly after the Delhi blasts, condolences poured in from all over the world. World leaders and diplomats expressed grief over the incident. But it’s the American message that got Indians to see red, accusing Trump and the United State of America of being bias.

What’s all that about? Our explainer has it all.

9) How is it that the Delhi Red Fort blast suspects communicated with one another — is a question that many have asked in the aftermath of the terror attack. Why were their conversations not flagged by intelligence agencies?

That’s because, according to authorities, they used a Swiss communication app called Threema. Notably, this application has been banned in India.

Read about this highly encrypted app and how the suspects used it to their advantage.

10) Winter is here and that means one thing: poor air quality is back to choke the residents of Delhi. The AQI in the Capital has been swaying between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ for the past few days, with even the Supreme Court taking note of it.

And as the air turns unbreathable in the Capital, the demand for air purifiers and filters has also been rising. Amid this situation, one Delhi resident built his own for a measly amount of Rs 2,000, claiming that his low-cost product could reduce the AQI within minutes.

And that’s it from us. But we shall continue explaining the big news and here's where you will find it all.