In Patna, officials and supporters of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) gathered for an urgent review after the party’s severe loss in the Bihar Assembly elections. The meeting drew party leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, all winning MLAs and those who didn’t secure a seat.
Sources say the RJD still questions how the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could win so decisively. Many in the party think the results may need to be challenged legally. Former MLA Sanjeev Kumar, who represented Parbatta, told reporters after the meeting that the result was “surprising” and “impossible without some kind of manipulation.” He rejected the idea that the NDA’s victory was simply a reward for development work, noting that he himself had carried out local projects and still lost.
Kumar also accused the Election Commission of setting up a list of 65 “swing” seats before the polls. He claimed his own constituency was on that list and that officials had a copy. The 65 seats were supposedly targeted by the opposition.
He raised doubts over the margins that RJD candidates won with. Several RJD MLAs were expected to win by more than 50,000 votes, but many secured victory with just around 10,000‑11,000 votes. “Our overall vote share was about 1.8 crore,” he said, emphasising that the party still enjoyed broad support despite the seat tally.
“Batons and needles in the counting,” said Maner MLA Bhai Virendra. He accused the machines that record electronic votes (EVMs) of fraud and said RJD candidates were leading during the postal ballot count, but the tables turned when the EVMs counted. “We won because of the ballot paper; we lost because of the EVM,” he added. “We’re looking at legal options.”
Shivani Shukla, another RJD candidate from Lalganj, was shocked at how an independent candidate received no votes. She pointed out that such a result would raise questions and called for a closer look.
The RJD leadership plans another meeting in the next few days to decide if it will ask the Election Commission or courts to investigate the election Counting. They could also pursue a legal challenge on the basis of alleged manipulation. The stakes for the party are high, as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, other neighbouring states, watched closely for signs of future political shifts in the region.
Key words: RJD, Bihar Assembly elections, Lalu Prasad Yadav, NDA, election fraud, EVM manipulation, legal challenge, 2024 Bihar elections, Bihar politics, election results.
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