RJD breaks silence after Bihar poll defeat, vows to continue fighting for the poor
PTC Web Desk: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has issued its first response after its heavy defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections, sharing a composed and reflective message on X. The party described electoral setbacks as part of a longer democratic journey and reiterated its commitment to public service.
“Public service is a continuous process. Ups and downs are a natural part of it. There is no sorrow in defeat and no arrogance in victory. The Rashtriya Janata Dal is a party of the poor and will continue to raise their voice,” the party stated in its post.
Despite its calm tone, the RJD faces a steep decline in its legislative strength, falling to 25 seats from 75 in the last Assembly. The Congress, its major ally, also suffered a significant setback, winning just six out of the 61 constituencies it contested, compared to 19 earlier.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) registered a sweeping victory across the state. The BJP increased its tally from 74 to 89 seats, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) surged from 43 to 85 seats. Both parties delivered an impressive strike rate of nearly 85 percent across the 101 seats each contested, securing a commanding majority in the 243-member Assembly.
A notable consolation for the opposition came from Tejashwi Yadav, the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan, who retained his Raghopur seat. He defeated BJP’s Satish Kumar by a margin of 14,532 votes. The alliance’s vote share rose to 22.76 percent, ahead of the BJP’s 20.90 percent and the JD(U)’s 18.92 percent.
Reacting to the results, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi thanked voters for their support and called for a detailed internal review of the party’s performance. He also raised concerns over the fairness of the electoral process. “My heartfelt gratitude to the millions in Bihar who supported the Mahagathbandhan. This outcome is surprising. We could not secure victory in an election that was not fair from the beginning,” he said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, met to assess the reasons behind the poor showing. This marks the party’s second-worst performance in Bihar since 2010, when it managed to win only four seats.
- With inputs from agencies
