Tejashwi Yadav’s “Wait And Watch” Note After RJD’s Big Bihar Setback

Patna: The BJP-led NDA retained a strong position in Bihar, securing three-fourths of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats, though it did lose some ground to the INDIA bloc. Both the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) won 12 seats each while Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD could win only four seats.

Mr Yadav, on his way to New Delhi today for a big post-results INDIA bloc meeting, coincidentally on the same flight as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, thanked the people of Bihar and India for their support, positioning the results as a blow against what he describes as the politics of arrogance.

“Thank you, the great people of Bihar and India! You have given a big blow to the politics of arrogance and dictatorship by rallying in favour of the politics of love, harmony, and socio-economic justice,” he proclaimed. His message is one of defiance against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), asserting that the electorate has upheld the values of democracy, the constitution, and social justice.

The RJD, which had hoped to make significant gains, won only four seats out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Despite this, Mr Yadav remained optimistic. “We have lost 7-8 seats in Bihar with a small margin but we have laid a big foundation of Bahujan backward and progressive stream. Wait and watch, we will see something better in future,” he stated.

“I assure you that I will fulfil all your expectations. I will work with full dedication for your employment, education, health and security,” he added. 

धन्यवाद बिहार और भारतवर्ष की महान जनता! आपने प्रेम, सौहार्द एवं सामाजिक आर्थिक न्याय की राजनीति के पक्ष में गोलबंदी करते हुए अहंकार और तानाशाही की राजनीति को एक बड़ा झटका दिया है।

आज के परिणाम देश में सुखद अनुभूति की एक लहर लेकर आएँ हैं। पूरे देश ने मिलकर भारत के वास्तविक…

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 4, 2024

The BJP-led NDA maintained its dominance in Bihar, winning three-fourths of the state’s seats. The BJP and Chief Minister Kumar’s JD(U) each secured 12 seats, while Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) won five, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha led by ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi made its parliamentary debut from Gaya. The BJP’s vote share stood at 20.51 per cent, surpassing JD(U)’s 18.53 per cent, although JD(U) had a higher strike rate in terms of margins of victory.

Among the prominent winners for the BJP were Union ministers Giriraj Singh (Begusarai) and Nityanand Rai (Ujiyarpur), and veteran leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who defeated RJD president Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya in Saran. Chirag Paswan enjoyed a comfortable win in Hajipur, continuing his late father Ram Vilas Paswan’s legacy.

For the opposition INDIA alliance, the results were a mixed bag. While the RJD secured the highest vote share at 22.14 per cent, this translated into only four seats. However, it marked an improvement from the previous general elections when the RJD did not win any seats. Notable RJD winners included Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter, Misa Bharti, who won in Patliputra. The Congress managed to retain Kishanganj and win back Katihar and Sasaram, while CPI(ML) Liberation captured both Arrah and Karakat.

A notable dynamic in these elections was the influence of the Kushwaha community, which has been a critical demographic for both the BJP and the RJD. The RJD fielded three Kushwaha candidates, leveraging the community’s support to bolster their appeal beyond their traditional Muslim-Yadav base.