Bihar election results: Tejashwi Yadav faces tough contest in Raghopur; can he hold on to family bastion? | India News
NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, is locked in a close contest in his family bastion, Raghopur. Early trends from the Election Commission of India show a narrow fight, with Tejashwi polling 23,531 votes, slightly ahead of BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav, who has secured 23,312 votes so far. Meanwhile, Jan Suraaj candidate Chanchal Kumar has received 150 votes, according to the ECI’s official update.Lalu family’s strongholdRaghopur has long been considered one of the safest seats for the Yadav family.Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi have both represented the constituency in the past.Tejashwi has held the seat since 2015, winning comfortably in 2015 and 2020.In the 2020 assembly elections, Tejashwi had secured a 38,000+ vote lead, reinforcing the region as an RJD fortress.
Who is challenging Tejashwi in Raghopur?BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav, the current frontrunner in early trends, has reintroduced a strong challenge in Raghopur. Yadav previously defeated Rabri Devi in the 2010 elections while contesting as a JD(U) candidate, and his return to the constituency under the BJP banner has significantly reshaped the contest, tightening what was once considered a safe RJD seat.
According to the Election Commission of India’s update at 12:10pm, the JD(U) was leading in 75 seats, while the BJP was ahead of its ally with 87 seats. Together, the NDA was leading in over 180 constituencies, leaving the Mahagathbandhan far behind with 45 seats.What exit polls predictedMost exit polls predicted a comfortable victory for the NDA, with some projecting the Mahagathbandhan to win.Several exit polls suggested RJD could emerge as the single-largest party, especially because of Tejashwi’s personal popularity and strong rallies.JD(U) was predicted to underperform, with some polls projecting the party in third place behind BJP and RJD.
