RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav secured a decisive victory in the Raghopur assembly seat, defeating BJP’s Satish Kumar by over 14,500 votes. Despite the comfortable margin, the day was turbulent for the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, with trends swinging back and forth throughout the counting process.
A Rollercoaster Day for the RJD Chief
Tejashwi began the day confidently, declaring, “We are going to win. A change is about to come.” Early trends seemed to support his optimism. Just 20 minutes after counting started, he led Satish Kumar by 893 votes, according to Pvalue Track.
However, by around 11 am, the momentum shifted. Satish Kumar surged ahead, putting Tejashwi behind by 1,273 votes. The lead continued to fluctuate as the day progressed. Tejashwi briefly regained a small lead of 219 votes, only to slip behind again. By early afternoon, the RJD leader trailed by 2,288 votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The numbers continued to swing dramatically. By mid-afternoon, Tejashwi was behind by over 4,000 votes, then 7,000, and at one point, more than 9,000 votes just before 4 pm.
The Dramatic Comeback
In a dramatic turnaround, Tejashwi surged ahead after 4 pm. By 4:30 pm, he led Satish Kumar by over 11,000 votes. The momentum held as counting continued. After 29 out of 31 rounds, Tejashwi maintained a lead of 13,880 votes, securing the win, according to the ECI at 5:15 pm.
Raghopur: A Lalu Family Stronghold
Raghopur has long been a bastion of the Lalu Yadav family. Tejashwi has won the seat in both 2015 and 2020, defeating Satish Kumar Yadav each time. Lalu Prasad Yadav represented the constituency in 1995 and 2000 while serving as Bihar’s chief minister. Rabri Devi, Lalu’s wife, later held the seat three times, including a 2000 by-election.
Satish Kumar has occasionally challenged the family’s dominance. He won Raghopur in 2010 as a JD(U) candidate, defeating Rabri Devi.
NDA Leads Across Bihar
While Tejashwi retained Raghopur, overall trends showed the ruling NDA performing strongly. By 5 pm, the alliance led in over 200 seats, with the BJP on track for one of its best tallies in Bihar.