'Result surprising, election not fair...': Rahul Gandhi on Bihar loss
What's the story
Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has reacted to the party's disappointing performance in the Bihar Assembly elections. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 202 seats in the 243-member Assembly, while the Mahagathbandhan alliance could only manage around 40 seats. Gandhi said he was surprised by the results and alleged that "the election was not fair from the very beginning."
Voter appreciation
Gandhi expresses gratitude to Bihar voters
Despite the loss, Gandhi thanked the voters who reposed their faith in the Mahagathbandhan. He said, "I express my heartfelt gratitude to those millions of voters in Bihar who expressed their trust in the Mahagathbandhan." The Congress party won only six out of 61 seats it contested this time, a sharp decline from its 2020 performance when it won 19 out of 70 seats.
Election review
RJD's performance and allegations of unfair practices
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), another major party in the Mahagathbandhan, also saw a decline. The RJD won only 25 out of 143 seats this time, down from 75 out of 144 seats in the last election. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged misuse of "constitutional institutions" during the elections. He said they would conduct a detailed study of the election results and present their perspective after understanding the reasons behind them.
Victory celebrations
NDA celebrates victory, BJP leaders respond
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the NDA celebrated their victory across several states. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar distributed sweets and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "politics of performance." Senior BJP leaders interpreted the Bihar mandate as a message for other states like Kerala. Former Union minister V Muraleedharan pointed out strong women voter turnout, while former state president K Surendran claimed voters had "removed a corrupt dispensation."