Despite Mahagathbandhan’s poor performance in Bihar polls, Tejashwi Yadav retains Raghopur seat

RAGHOPUR (Bihar): The Raghopur seat in Bihar gave Mahagathbandhan a relief after its Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) emerged victorious with 1,18,597 votes, securing a win over Satish Kumar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who secured 1,04,065 votes.

The incumbent MLA and leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly, has been a dominant force in Raghopur. He won the seat in 2015 and 2020, defeating Satish Kumar Yadav on both occasions. Jan Suraaj Party trailed with just 2,399 votes.

Established as a stronghold of Tejashwi and his family, the seat once again witnessed a decisive win for RJD in the face of stiff competition from the BJP and other challengers. Lalu Prasad himself won the seat in 1995 and 2000, serving as Chief Minister during both terms. His wife, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, went on to represent Raghopur three times, first in the 2000 by-election and later in two subsequent assembly elections.

#BiharElection2025 | Patna, Bihar | Mahagathbandhan CM candidate and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav leaves from his residence

So far, the Election Commission has declared results for 81 seats, of which the NDA has won 68 and the Mahagathbandhan 9.

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In 2010, Satish Kumar, then a leader of the Janata Dal (United), defeated Rabri Devi from the Raghopur seat, creating a major political upset by a margin of 13,006 votes. In that election, Satish, a member of the Yadhuvanshi community, secured 64,222 votes, while Rabri Devi received 51,216. However, he later lost to Tejashwi Yadav in both the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections.

According to the EC, the NDA has won 133 seats as of 7:30 pm, with the BJP winning 68, JD(U) 50, LJP(RV) 12, HAM 2 and RLM 1. The opposition’s Mahagathbandhan is lagging at 19 seats with RJD winning 15, Congress 2, CPI(M) (L) 1 and CPI(M) 1.

The return of a confident, coordinated BJP-JD(U) alliance has significantly reshaped the battlefield this time. With Prime Minister Modi standing firmly beside Nitish Kumar throughout the campaign, the coalition projected a united and reinvigorated front, emphasising welfare delivery, infrastructure expansion, social schemes, and administrative stability.

The mix of PM Modi’s national appeal and Bihar CM’s extensive grassroots presence has created a formidable electoral force, one that appears poised to translate its political momentum into a landslide victory in Bihar. As Bihar reached the verdict stage, the PM Modi-Nitish partnership has emerged as the defining factor of the assembly election.

It’s worth noting that Bihar recorded a historic 67.13% voter turnout, the highest since 1951, with women voters outpacing men (71.6% vs 62.8%). (ANI)