The Bihar election results mark a significant defeat for Congress and a major setback for Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, he traveled through the state to persuade voters that the BJP was stealing votes. In August, Gandhi launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra, inspired by two earlier yatras that the party believed helped them secure votes in recent elections.
Congress trails in bihar elections
Congress thought Gandhi’s earlier yatras would lead to strong results in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2023 Telangana polls. They won 41 seats along the routes of the two pan-India ‘Bharat Jodo’ yatras that Gandhi conducted between 2022 and 2024. In Telangana, they won the election and formed the government. But it seems the Gandhi appeal has faded in the Gangetic plains of Bihar.
NDA won
The NDA won most of the seats, with both the BJP and the JDU securing a majority of those they contested. The BJP leads in 91 seats, while the JDU leads in 80. Both parties contested 101 seats in total. Even their allies performed strongly. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Chirag Paswan, is ahead in 22 out of the 28 seats it contested. Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM is leading in 3 out of 6 seats, and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM is ahead in 5 out of 6 seats.
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