Bihar results spark row: RJD claims mandate ‘doesn’t match ground mood’, signals court move

RJD leaders say the election outcome “did not match ground sentiment” and are weighing a court petition over alleged EVM irregularities.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which won 25 of the 143 seats it contested in the Bihar assembly elections, on November 17, questioned the poll mandate and alleged irregularities in electronic voting machines (EVMs). According to PTI, party leaders said the outcome did not reflect what they described as 'ground sentiment' and indicated that a court challenge was being considered.

Opposition bloc faces heavy defeat

The entire opposition grouping led by the RJD suffered significant losses, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 202 of 243 seats and returned to power. RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh said, as cited by PTI, the results did not align with public dissatisfaction the party claims to have observed during the campaign.

“All RJD candidates attended today’s meeting,” a party member said, adding that discussions were underway on moving court over the alleged discrepancies.

Leaders cite alleged EVM inconsistencies

Former state RJD president Jagdanand Singh alleged that “each EVM had 25,000 votes even before polling began” and said the situation reflected larger concerns about electoral integrity. He did not provide supporting evidence for the claim in the meeting.

Bhai Virendra, who won from Maner, also alleged irregularities and said the party would press for ballot-paper voting in future.

Sanjeev Kumar, the RJD candidate who lost from Parbatta, said the party was collecting evidence before deciding its legal course. He added that newly elected MLAs had been asked to focus on organisational strengthening at the booth level.

The party reiterated that approximately 1.8 crore votes cast in favour of the INDIA bloc “cannot be ignored”.

Internal tensions surface

During the meeting, some RJD workers raised slogans against party MP Sanjay Yadav, a close aide of Tejashwi Yadav. Senior leaders including Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi were present.

The party is also dealing with internal strain following comments by Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya, who alleged harassment within the family after the electoral setback. Acharya announced her resignation from the party over the weekend and blamed her brother’s associates for the defeat.