#BiharResults: RJD Secures Highest Vote Share Despite Worst Seat Tally Since 2010

Despite the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) establishing a commanding lead in 201 of Bihar’s 243 assembly seats, Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has achieved the highest vote share at 22.84%. This figure exceeds the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 1.86 percentage points and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU) by 3.97 points. Six hours into the vote counting process, the RJD’s superior popular support emerges as a significant indicator of voter sentiment, even as the ruling coalition appears poised to secure a clear majority and retain governmental control in the state.

Contesting a substantial 143 seats in the assembly, the RJD is projected to deliver its second-worst electoral outcome in terms of seats since the 2010 elections, when it won only 22 constituencies; current trends show the party leading in merely 27 seats. Nevertheless, securing the maximum vote share provides a critical measure of resilience and underscores the enduring appeal of Tejashwi Yadav’s campaign platform, which emphasized job creation, educational reform, and social equity—issues that continue to resonate strongly with Bihar’s younger voters and historically marginalized communities.

Tejashwi Yadav, the designated chief ministerial candidate for the opposition Mahagathbandhan, is currently trailing in his traditional family stronghold of Raghopur by 2,288 votes against BJP nominee Satish Kumar, having garnered 33,347 votes in the latest count. A potential defeat in this symbolically important constituency would mark a notable personal reversal for the young leader; however, the RJD’s commanding lead in overall vote percentage across Bihar reinforces Yadav’s stature as the foremost opposition figure challenging Nitish Kumar’s prolonged dominance in state politics.

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Performance among Mahagathbandhan allies remains limited, with the Congress leading in four seats, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation in four, and the Communist Party of India in a single seat, reflecting the coalition’s broader inability to convert anti-incumbency into electoral gains. By comparison, NDA partners demonstrate robust strength: the BJP leads in 91 seats, the JDU in 81, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in 21, and smaller allies—including Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha—in a combined 13 seats, collectively ensuring a decisive legislative majority.

New political entrants, including election strategist Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), are trailing in every constituency they contested, failing to register any meaningful impact on the results. This widespread underperformance highlights the entrenched bipolar nature of Bihar’s electoral landscape, where the contest remains firmly between the NDA’s organizational dominance and the RJD’s vote-mobilization prowess, leaving minimal space for third-front or independent alternatives to disrupt the established political order.

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