RJD's Electoral Decline: From Bihar's Largest Party to Second-Worst Performance Under Tejashwi Yadav's Leadership

Patna:

With four and a half hours into the vote counting process for the high-stakes Bihar election, the primary opposition party RJD is facing a disappointing outcome. Led by Tejashwi Yadav, the party which fielded candidates in 143 constituencies is currently leading in merely 32 seats. Should these numbers remain unchanged, it would represent a significant setback for RJD, which had emerged as the single largest party in the 2020 state elections.

This performance would mark RJD's second-worst showing in Bihar's electoral history. During the 2005 Assembly elections, when Nitish Kumar first rose to power following NDA's decisive victory, RJD secured only 55 seats. At that time, Tejashwi Yadav's mother Rabri Devi was serving as Chief Minister, with RJD confronting strong anti-incumbency sentiment across the state. A reinvigorated Nitish Kumar had partnered with BJP to achieve a commanding win, bringing an end to RJD's governance in Bihar. The party's worst electoral performance occurred in the subsequent 2010 election, where RJD managed to win just 22 seats.

Twenty years later, following multiple political realignments by Nitish Kumar, BJP and JDU have reunited and appear headed for another substantial victory. As of 12:30 pm, they are leading in 191 seats in the 243-member Assembly. If these trends persist, Tejashwi Yadav will have presided over his party's most devastating defeat. The 36-year-old has assumed leadership of the party founded by his father, veteran politician Lalu Yadav, who established RJD in 1997 and guided the party to its most successful electoral victories.

Interestingly, RJD still maintains the highest vote share among all competing parties. This suggests that while the party has won some constituencies by significant margins, it has failed to convert closely contested races into victories.

Several counting rounds remain, potentially altering the final outcome as more votes are tallied. However, at present, RJD trails considerably behind while the NDA coalition appears positioned to form the government once again.