International Desk

Following a decisive defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi, former president of India’s Congress Party and current leader of the opposition, expressed surprise at the results while questioning the overall fairness of the polls. Though he did not directly allege vote rigging, Gandhi raised concerns over the election process and expressed gratitude to voters who supported the Congress-RJD alliance, known as the Mahagathbandhan.

In a post on social media platform X on Friday night, following the announcement of the results, Gandhi stated, “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the millions of voters in Bihar who supported the candidates of the Mahagathbandhan alliance. The outcome in Bihar is truly surprising. We were unable to secure victory in an election that, from the outset, was not fully fair.”

Bihar, a neighboring state of West Bengal, has a total of 243 assembly seats. Voting was conducted in two phases: the first phase on 6 November across 121 constituencies recorded a voter turnout of over 65 percent, while the second phase on 11 November across 122 constituencies saw turnout exceeding 68 percent. Overall, approximately 67 percent of eligible voters participated in the elections.

The election primarily featured a contest between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP-JD(U) coalition, and the Mahagathbandhan alliance, led by Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). According to official results announced on Friday night, NDA candidates won 202 of the 242 contested seats, while the Mahagathbandhan secured victories in 35 constituencies.

Within the NDA, the BJP emerged as the largest partner, winning 89 seats. The JD(U), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, secured 85 seats. Other NDA constituents included Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, which won 19 seats, and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha, which won 5 seats.

Compared to the previous Bihar Assembly elections in 2020, Congress’s performance declined sharply. In 2020, Congress had contested 70 seats, winning 19; this year, it fielded candidates in 61 constituencies, winning only 6. The RJD, another Mahagathbandhan partner, also performed worse than in 2020, winning 25 seats out of 143 contested compared to 75 victories out of 144 seats in the previous election.

Commenting on the broader significance, Gandhi emphasized, “Our struggle is a fight to uphold the Constitution and democracy. Congress and the India Alliance will deeply analyze this election outcome and intensify efforts to strengthen the democratic process.”

The results underscore the dominance of the NDA in Bihar’s political landscape and mark a significant setback for the opposition coalition ahead of upcoming state and national-level elections.