The Indian Panorama

Tag: RJD

  • NDA Heading for a Landslide Win; Mahagathbandhan Trails Far Behind

    NDA Heading for a Landslide Win; Mahagathbandhan Trails Far Behind

    • By I.S. Saluja

    Updated: November 14, 2025  at 7.30 A.M. ET

    PATNA (TIP): With counting under way across Bihar, early trends on Friday, November 14,  placed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) far ahead of its rivals, positioning the BJP–JD(U)-led coalition for a resounding victory in the 2025 Assembly elections. Celebrations broke out outside the BJP headquarters in Patna as party workers danced to drumbeats, sensing an emphatic mandate returning the alliance to power.

    As of this report, the NDA is leading in 204 out of 243 seats, leaving the Mahagathbandhan—an alliance of the RJD and Congress—far behind at 33 seats. The Jan Suraaj Party, despite visible campaign visibility, has yet to secure a lead in any constituency.

    Tejashwi Yadav leads ; Raghopur Sees Tight Contest

    One of the high-profile battles, Raghopur, saw RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav leading by 10,276 votes, but the broader electoral picture remains grim for the Mahagathbandhan. Constituency-level trends indicate widespread consolidation in favor of NDA candidates.

    ‘Victory of Good Governance Has Been Achieved’: PM Modi

    Reacting to the early numbers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the mandate a “victory of development, victory of social justice,” crediting the alliance’s governance model, welfare outreach, and administrative stability. Nitish Kumar, who campaigned heavily on his welfare schemes for women, elderly, and marginalized communities, appears set to retain the Chief Minister’s position—once again emerging as “the man of the hour.”

    Women Voters, Welfare Schemes, and Alliance Management Drive Success

    Analysts attribute the NDA’s performance to several converging factors:

    Women voters turned out in large numbers, reportedly driven by JD(U)’s welfare measures, including direct benefit transfers, schemes supporting girls’ education, and health-focused initiatives.

    The coalition projected a unified front, capitalizing on its governance record and minimizing internal friction.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah is believed to have played a key role in micro-managing the campaign narrative, ensuring the alliance stayed disciplined on core issues.

    BJP is likely to surpass its 2010 tally of 91 seats, strengthening its footprint in the State and pushing the Opposition further to the margins.

    Opposition Raises Vote-Chori Allegations

    With the Mahagathbandhan facing a near-complete rout, Congress and RJD leaders revived accusations of “vote chori” (theft) and questioned the integrity of the State’s intensive electoral roll revision process. However, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI), this is the first election in recent history in which no discrepancies were found at any polling station, and no repolls were recommended.

    Smooth Counting Process Across Bihar

    Counting is being conducted by 243 Returning Officers, assisted by an equal number of Counting Observers. The ECI has stated that final seat-wise outcomes are likely to be confirmed by evening, depending on the pace of counting.

    Exit Polls Prove Wrong

    In a dramatic reversal, almost all exit polls—which had predicted a tight finish or a mild NDA edge—stand discredited. The scale of today’s mandate suggests a significant shift in voter sentiment and a reaffirmation of the NDA’s political dominance over Bihar’s electoral landscape.

    With numbers stabilizing and the NDA far ahead of the majority mark, it is now only a matter of hours before the final tally confirms the coalition’s return to power.

  • Bihar battle: Tejashwi CM face, Mukesh Sahni to be one of his two deputies, announces INDIA bloc

    Bihar battle: Tejashwi CM face, Mukesh Sahni to be one of his two deputies, announces INDIA bloc

    PATNA (TIP): The Opposition INDIA bloc on Thursday, October 23,  declared Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav as its Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The announcement was made at a joint press conference in Patna, which was attended by all coalition partners.

    Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who is also the senior observer for the Bihar polls, made the announcement. “I have talked to everyone, and we have agreed to make Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face,” Gehlot said.

    “Tejashwi Yadav has a long political career ahead of him, and he will get the approval of the people,” he added. Gehlot also announced that VIP founder Mukesh Sahni would be the Deputy Chief Ministerial face of the alliance, with another Deputy CM to be announced later.

    The decision to project Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate is seen as a significant boost for the Mahagathbandhan alliance, especially among youth and backward caste voters. However, rumblings were evident in the Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s absence from the alliance’s poster, which featured only Tejashwi Yadav’s photo. Independent MP Pappu Yadav said, “The vote will happen in the face of Rahul Gandhi and no one else.”

    The seat-sharing issue, however, remains unresolved, with at least 11 Assembly seats witnessing contests between allies of the Mahagathbandhan.

    Gehlot questioned the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for not announcing their Chief Ministerial candidate, citing the example of Maharashtra where Eknath Shinde was projected as the CM face before the elections, only to be replaced later. He also criticised the Election Commission, calling it “partial.”

    Tejashwi Yadav, while addressing the press conference, thanked everyone for making him the CM face and attacked the NDA for “using” CM Nitish Kumar. “Amit Shah is using a different language than he did in the last polls. This time, he is saying that the MLAs would elect the CM. I am worried as a fellow Bihari,” he said, accusing the Nitish Government of rampant corruption and anarchy.

    “A large number of scandals took place but no action was taken.”

    He said the NDA had not released any manifesto. “It is only stealing my announcements on old age pension, women empowerment, fee power, etc. They have no vision of their own. When I was in power, we did a caste survey and increased reservation to 65 per cent. But the anti-backward government at the Centre did not include it in Schedule 9 of the Constitution,” he alleged.

    Yadav Promises ‘new Bihar’

    Yadav promised a “new Bihar” if elected as the CM, vowing to create new job avenues in the state and ensuring that no one has to go out of the state to find a job. He also stuck to his promise of providing one government job for each family in Bihar. “The NDA talks about ‘jungle raj’. Not a day passes when people are not murdered and girls are not sexually assaulted. There is no action against the guilty.”

    “We will not make any compromise with corruption nor law and order,” Yadav said. He added that despite ruling for 20 years, Nitish could not bring prosperity to the state and that it remains one of the poorest in the county. He alleged that the BJP was trying to divide the society on the line of caste and creed.

    CPI-ML General Secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya also addressed the press conference, swearing to change the government in the upcoming elections. The announcement of Tejashwi as the Chief Ministerial candidate is considered a significant victory for him, given the Congress’s earlier reluctance to acknowledge him as the CM face.

  • Patna HC stays Bihar caste survey, setback for Nitish

    In a setback for the Opposition’s demand for a nationwide caste census and a similar exercise in states, the Patna High Court on Thursday, May 4, stayed the ongoing caste-based enumeration in Bihar, besides restricting the state government from sharing the already collected data till final orders are passed.
    In an interim order on petitions challenging the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan’s move at caste-based survey in the state, Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Madhuresh Prasad directed the state to halt the ongoing exercise with immediate effect. The matter has now been posted for July 3. “We are of the considered opinion that the petitioners have made out a prima facie case against the continuation of the process of caste-based survey, as attempted by the state of Bihar. There is also the question raised of data integrity and security, which has to be more elaborately addressed by the state,” the court said after advocate general PK Shahi argued for the state. The move comes at a time when several Opposition parties, including the Congress, JDU, RJD, SP, DMK, BRS and the BJD, have raised the pitch for caste census amid the ruling BJP’s Hindu pitch. Three days ago, Odisha also began an OBC survey on the lines of Bihar.

  • RJD cries foul as ED raids premises of Lalu’s kin and close aides

    RJD cries foul as ED raids premises of Lalu’s kin and close aides

    The Rashtriya Janta Dal on Friday flew off the handle over raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on premises owned by family members and close aides of the party’s national president Lalu Prasad.
    Leaders of the RJD alleged that the BJP, which rules the Centre and has an axe to grind against the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar, was providing agencies like CBI, ED and the Income Tax Department with “scripts” to settle scores with political opponents.
    Senior RJD leader and former assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary said, “Only a few days ago did the CBI visit Rabri Devi (Prasad’s wife and ex-CM) here and our national president in Delhi for questioning. I wonder why these central agencies never act against BJP leaders suspected of corruption”.
    Rajya Sabha MP and RJD national spokesman Manoj Kumar Jha said the BJP should fight its political opponents politically and “stop this game of raids”.
    “The central agencies have become a butt of ridicule,” he said.
    The RJD leader claimed that the BJP is “not able to shake off the trauma of having lost power in Bihar” in August last year.
    “Some pliable officials in central agencies, who might be wanting some plum post-retirement assignments, seem to have fed the idea into the BJP’s minds that they can destabilise the ‘Mahagathbandhan’,” Jha alleged.

  • With an Eye on 2024, 19 Opposition parties decide to hold nationwide protest

    With an Eye on 2024, 19 Opposition parties decide to hold nationwide protest

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Leaders of 19 Opposition parties, on August 20,2021 announced a joint agitation plan from September 20 to 30 after Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged them to rise above political compulsions to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    It’s time to rise above political compulsions — Sonia Gandhi, Congress

    All secular, democratic forces must join hands — Sharad Pawar, NCP

    Mamata proposes core committee to steer fight against BJP

    Tejaswi Yadav seeks ‘driving seat’ for regional parties

    In a signed statement, Opposition stalwarts, including NCP’s Sharad Pawar, TMC’s Mamata Banerjee, DMK’s MK Stalin, Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and JMM’s Hemant Soren, called upon the people of India to defend “the secular, democratic, republican order with all their might”.

    11 demands

    • Augment production and ensure free vaccination
    • Give Rs7,500 a month to families outside income tax bracket
    • Reduce prices of fuel
    • Repeal three farm laws & guarantee MSP to farmers
    • Pegasus probe under SC
    • Release political prisoners, including those in Bhima Koregaon case, anti-CAA protests
    • Restore J&K’s full statehood
    • Stop, reverse privatization
    • Revive MSMEs
    • Expand MGNREGA

    Jabs for teachers, pupils

    “Save India today, so that we can change it for a better tomorrow,” they said listing 11 demands, including restoration of full statehood and elections in Jammu and Kashmir, repeal of three farm laws and institution of an SC-led inquiry into the Pegasus snooping row.

    The statement followed a major Opposition outreach in which Sonia Gandhi said, “Our ultimate goal is the 2024 Lok Sabha poll for which we have to begin planning systematically with the single-minded objective of giving to our country a government that believes in the values of the freedom movement and in the principles and provisions of our Constitution. This is a challenge, but together we can and must rise to it because there is simply no alternative to working cohesively together. We all have our compulsions, but clearly, a time has come when the interests of our nation demand that we rise above them.”

    Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee proposed the formation of a core group of Opposition leaders to chalk out joint programs. The like-minded parties “needed to unite to defeat the BJP”, she said.

    The meeting was attended by leaders of the TMC, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena, JMM, CPI, CPM, NC, RJD, AIUDF, VCK, Loktantrik Janta Dal, JDS, RLD, RSP, Kerala Congress Mani, PDP and IUML. The BSP, AAP and SP skipped the event, but the Congress claimed SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had intimated about his absence.

    In the meeting, symbolically organized on the birth anniversary of her husband and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia blamed the government for the recent Parliament washout.

    (Agencies)