The numbers told a bruising story for Bihar's main opposition. The Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which fielded candidates in 143 seats, won only 25. The party that emerged as the single largest in the 2020 assembly elections have had a dramatic slide, with their tally exactly reduced to a third.
This was RJD's second-worst performance in a Bihar election. Its earlier low came in 2005, when Nitish Kumar swept to power on a wave of NDA support, ending years of RJD rule under Rabri Devi. Back then, RJD still managed 55 seats despite sharp anti-incumbency.
Tejashwi's vote count in Raghopur see-sawed multiple times through the day, trailing Satish Kumar by nearly 5,000 votes as of 3:00 p.m. The nail-biting contest has left audiences puzzled if ministerial candidate Yadav will be able to regain the bastion. He eventually won his constituency by 13,880 votes.
Two decades and Nitish Kumar's many political pivots later, history appears to be repeating itself. The JD(U) and BJP, reunited once again, raced far ahead. The alliance won 202 of the 243 seats, keeping the NDA firmly in power.
Tejashwi, now the face of the party founded by his father Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1997, will have presided over its most significant rout.
RJD's Silver Lining
In the middle of the gloom, one statistic stood out. The RJD commanded the highest vote share among all parties at 23% versus 19.8% in 2020. This suggests the party has secured votes but failed to translate it into victories.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
