'Vote chori' in Bihar too, claims Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Siddaramaiah accused the NDA of vote theft in Bihar, where they are set for a landslide victory.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday alleged that “vote chori” (vote theft) had taken place in Bihar as well, where the ruling NDA surged past the majority mark while counting was still underway for the Assembly elections.

Bihar polls were held over two phases on November 6 and 11.(CMO Karnataka)

He admitted, however, that he had not yet received clarity on what led to the Congress–RJD alliance’s setback or the NDA’s march toward a decisive victory.

Meanwhile, the BJP hailed the NDA’s performance, saying the people of Bihar had once again reaffirmed their trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “development-focussed” governance. The BJP-led alliance held strong leads in more than 180 of the 243 Assembly seats, with trends suggesting the party was poised to achieve its highest tally in the state along with an impressive strike rate.

“NDA is heading towards a landslide victory in Bihar,” BJP MP and chief spokesperson Anil Baluni posted on X in Hindi.

Responding to questions about the Mahagathbandhan’s poor performance, Siddaramaiah said, “We have to accept the mandate of the people. I don't know what caused the setback. I had not gone to Bihar. I don't know who didn’t vote for us or why the NDA has won with a big majority. I will try to find out.”

Asked why the Congress failed to attract OBC voters in Bihar despite their decisive influence, he replied, “I don’t know. Who is Nitish Kumar? Isn’t he OBC?”

On being asked about the Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” allegations made ahead of the Bihar polls, Siddaramaiah reiterated, “They have done chori here too,” without offering further details.

The two-phase Bihar elections were held on November 6 and 11.

(With PTI inputs)