New Delhi: The Rashtriya Janata Dal posted the highest vote share in the recent Bihar Assembly polls despite facing a major setback in seat counts. Data reported by India Today shows that the party secured 23 per cent of all votes cast. This places the RJD ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party in total votes, even though the BJP won many more seats.
The RJD contested 143 seats and won 25. The party’s vote share shows a slight drop from its 23.11 per cent share in 2020, when it won 75 seats. More than 1.15 crore people voted for the RJD in this election. The BJP secured about 1 crore votes with a vote share of 20.08 per cent. This marks a small rise from its 19.46 per cent share in 2020.
Tejashwi Yadav led the RJD campaign across the state. His rallies drew large crowds. His presence marked a clear shift in the party leadership from Lalu Prasad Yadav to a younger face. The turnout at the rallies, however, did not convert into a larger number of seats this time.
The NDA alliance secured a large share of the total vote. The BJP won 89 seats. Its ally, the JD(U), won 85 of the 101 seats it contested. The JD(U) received 19.25 per cent of the votes. Its vote share increased from 15.39 per cent in 2020. Analysts noted Nitish Kumar’s ability to overcome years of anti-incumbency through this rise.
The NDA’s combined vote share in the state stands at around 46 to 47 per cent. The Mahagathbandhan partners reached 35.89 per cent as Congress and Left parties struggled at the polls.
