With the NDA crossing the 200-seat mark and the Mahagathbandhan reduced to less than 30, the Bihar verdict has laid bare not just the scale of the Opposition’s defeat but also the deep fissures within the alliance itself. In at least 11 constituencies, allies within the Mahagathbandhan -- the RJD, Congress, CPI and VIP -- found themselves pitted against each other, leading to what were described as “friendly fights” but which in reality ended up splitting the Opposition vote.
These contests, spread across Vaishali, Kahalgaon, Narkatiaganj, and several other seats, reveal how coordination failures and local ambitions undermined the alliance’s broader effort to challenge the BJP-led NDA’s dominance in the state.
Vaishali: JD(U)’s Siddharth Patel maintained a strong lead of over 25,000 votes, with RJD’s Ajay Kumar Kushwaha trailing in a distant second place. Congress candidate Sanjeev Singh stood third, lagging behind by more than 63,000 votes.
Kahalgaon: JD(U)’s Shubhanand Mukesh led by a decisive margin of over 28,000 votes, leaving RJD’s Rajnish Bharti a distant second and Congress’ Pravin Singh at third trailing by over 64,000 votes.
Narkatiaganj: Here too, RJD’s Deepak Yadav and Congress candidate Shashwat Kedar were trailing BJP’s Sanjay Kumar Pandey by over 26,000 votes and over 94,000 votes respectively.
Sikandra: Praphull Kumar Manjhi of HAM(S) was leading by nearly 10,000 votes while Congress’ Uday Narain Choudhary was at second spot. Congress candidate Vinod Kumar Chaudhary and RJJP’s Ramadhin Paswan were trailing by over 46,000 votes each.
Sultanganj: JD(U)’s Lalit Narayan Mandal was on course for a clear victory with a lead of more than 16,000 votes, while RJD’s Chandan Kumar trailed in a distant second. Congress candidate Lalan Kumar was far behind, down by over 78,000 votes.
Bachhwara: BJP’s Surendra Mehta held a lead of more than 12,000 votes, with Congress candidate Shiv Prakash Garib Das in second place. CPI’s Abdesh Kumar Rai was far behind, trailing by over 47,000 votes.
Biharsharif: BJP’s Dr. Sunil Kumar opened up an unassailable lead of over 27,000 votes ahead of Congress candidate Omair Khan. CPI’s Shiv Kumar Yadav trailed far behind, down by more than 70,000 votes.
Raja Pakar: JD(U)’s Mahendra Ram maintained a strong lead of more than 33,000 votes over Congress candidate Pratima Kumari, while CPI’s Mohit Paswan was further behind, trailing by over 57,000 votes.
Kargahar: JD(U)’s Bashisth Singh was firmly on course for victory with a lead of more than 21,000 votes. Congress’ Santosh Kumar Mishra trailed in third place, down by over 30,000 votes, while CPI’s Mahendra Prasad Gupta lagged even further behind, trailing by more than 55,000 votes.
Gaura Bauram: BJP’s Sujit Kumar held a comfortable lead of more than 11,000 votes over RJD’s Afzal Ali Khan. VIP candidate Santosh Sahani had managed only 240 votes by the 13th round of counting out of a total of 22 rounds.
Chainpur: JD(U)’s Dr. Zama Khan led RJD’s Brij Kishor Bind by more than 6,000 votes, while VIP’s Govind Vind trailed far behind, down by over 30,000 votes.
The pattern across these constituencies makes one thing clear. The Mahagathbandhan’s internal rifts, poor coordination and clashing ambitions weakened its ability to present a united challenge. As the NDA consolidates a dominant mandate, the Opposition will need more than post-poll introspection.
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