The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has offered its first reaction to the Bihar election results, which saw the NDA secure a sweeping victory. While the NDA coalition celebrated a decisive win, the RJD faced a significant setback, prompting the party to address the outcome with a message of resilience.
In a post on X, the RJD framed the results as part of the natural "ups and downs" of public life. The party stated that public service is an ongoing journey with inevitable highs and lows, vowing to continue raising the voice of the poor. The message, originally written in Hindi, loosely translates to: "Public service is an unceasing process, an endless journey. Ups and downs are inevitable. There is no despondency in defeat, and no arrogance in victory. The Rashtriya Janata Dal is a party of the poor and will continue to raise their voice".
The RJD, which was the largest party in the Mahagathbandhan, experienced a significant decline in its seat tally, dropping from 75 to just 25. This marks one of the party's most disappointing performances since 2005. Despite the coalition uniting behind Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face, the Mahagathbandhan's overall vote share and seat count fell sharply. In contrast, the BJP emerged as the strongest performer within the NDA, securing 89 seats – its highest-ever tally in Bihar.
Tejashwi Yadav, however, managed to hold onto his seat in Raghopur, defeating the BJP's Satish Kumar by over 14,000 votes. The RJD's vote share climbed to 22.76%, surpassing the BJP's 20.90% and the JD(U)'s 18.92%.
Meanwhile, the Congress, a key ally of the RJD in the Mahagathbandhan, also faced a drubbing in Bihar, winning only six of the 61 seats it contested. This was the Congress's second-worst performance in Bihar after 2010, when it won only four seats. Rahul Gandhi, reacting to the election results, said that his party could not achieve victory in an election "which was not fair from the very beginning".
Following the election setback, the Congress has revived its "vote chori" allegations, accusing PM Narendra Modi and the Election Commission of committing "vote theft". The party alleged that the Election Commission removed 69 lakh votes through SIR in Bihar, targeting opposition voters. The Congress also claimed that the Nitish Kumar government distributed money to women despite the imposition of the code of conduct. Rahul Gandhi's campaign against the BJP had revolved around his "Vote Chori" allegations. However, these allegations appear to have had little resonance with voters.
Other opposition leaders have also echoed the "vote chori" claims. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed that there was "vote theft" in Bihar as well.
Despite the allegations of foul play, the NDA secured a decisive victory in the Bihar Assembly elections. The BJP captured 89 seats, improving its 2020 tally, while Nitish Kumar's JD(U) climbed to 85. Together, the two main alliance partners secured a decisive majority in the 243-member House. Nitish Kumar is now set for a fifth consecutive term as Chief Minister.
