TNR News Network
SHIMLA:
The BJP-led NDA is headed for a sweeping victory in Bihar, with early counting trends showing the alliance far ahead in more than 180 of the state’s 243 Assembly seats.
The numbers indicate a massive mandate for the ruling bloc, with the BJP itself on course to record its strongest-ever performance in the state. As per the Election Commission’s trends, the party was leading in over 80 of the 101 constituencies it contested, a strike rate that reinforces its position as the dominant political force nationally, helping counterbalance the setbacks it faced in last year’s Lok Sabha elections.
The Opposition Mahagathbandhan, meanwhile, is struggling to keep pace and its face of the campaign, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, is facing an unexpectedly tough challenge in his family bastion Raghopur. Earlier in the day, the 36-year-old had expressed confidence that the Opposition would return to power, declaring, “It will be a people’s victory. Change will come. We are forming the government.” But the trends from Raghopur are signalling a difficult battle ahead.
Raghopur has long been a stronghold of the Yadav family, with Tejashwi’s father and RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, as well as his mother and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, having represented the seat in the past. Tejashwi himself has held it since 2015, winning the last election in 2020 by a decisive margin of over 38,000 votes. This year, however, the contest has tightened.
The BJP has fielded Satish Kumar Yadav, a familiar challenger who had defeated Rabri Devi in 2010 when he contested as a JD(U) candidate. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has also put up a nominee in Raghopur, adding another layer to an already high-stakes fight.
As the NDA widens its lead across the state, the Mahagathbandhan is staring at a steep uphill climb, and the electoral math in Raghopur — once considered a comfortable seat for the RJD — has only intensified the pressure on the Opposition camp. Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor’s newly floated Jan Suraaj Party failed to make its presence felt, with its candidates scoring even below NOTA in most seats.
