NEW DELHI, Muharram 26, 1437, November 08, 2015, SPA -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conceded defeat on Sunday for his governing Bharatiya Janata Party in a key regional election, a severe political setback, UPI reported. An alliance of parties linked to the main opposition Congress party in the Bihar state assembly ran against the BJP. The result is considered as a referendum on Modi's economic program after his convincing victory in last year's national elections. The BJP and its allies won less than half of the seats the opposition gained in the 243-member state assembly. The northeastern Bihar state is one of India's largest, with a population of 100 million. Bihar is also one of India's poorest states. Millions are subsistence farmers without electricity or plumbing. Modi said he reached out to Nitish Kumar, the leader of the anti-Modi alliance and current chief minister of Bihar, to congratulate him. --SPA 22:09 LOCAL TIME 19:09 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w