RJD Faces Major Setback in Bihar Elections Despite Highest Vote Share: "No Sorrow in Defeat"

Patna:

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) expressed philosophical resilience on Saturday, stating that "ups and downs" are "inevitable" in the "endless journey of public service," following one of their most significant electoral setbacks in Bihar's assembly elections.

In a message shared on social media platform X, the RJD affirmed its identity as the "party of the poor" and vowed to continue advocating for marginalized communities.

"Public service is an unceasing process, an endless journey. Ups and downs are inevitable in it. No sorrow in defeat, no arrogance in victory," the party wrote in Hindi.

The RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav, secured only 25 seats in the 243-member assembly, marking its second-poorest performance in Bihar elections since 2010, when it won just 22 seats.

Despite the disappointing seat count, the RJD achieved the highest vote share among all parties at 23 percent, surpassing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 2.92 percentage points and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU) by 3.75 percentage points. This represents a significant drop from its 2020 performance when it won 75 seats – the highest tally by any single party.

The opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance, spearheaded by RJD, managed only 35 seats collectively. Their coalition partners also faced setbacks, with Congress winning just six seats (down from 19), CPI(ML)L securing two seats, CPI(M) obtaining one seat, and CPI failing to win any seats.

Meanwhile, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) overcame anti-incumbency sentiment to claim a commanding 202 seats. Within the alliance, BJP won 89 seats, JDU secured 85, Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) captured 19, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha won five, and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha claimed four.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM secured five assembly seats, while former poll strategist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party and Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) failed to win any constituencies.

Bihar's electorate voted in two phases on November 6 and November 11, recording over 66 percent voter turnout – the highest since 1951. Female voter participation was particularly strong at 71.6 percent, compared to 62.8 percent among male voters.