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Tejashwi Yadav wins Raghopur after a stormy ride: How the day panned out for the RJD giant
Tejashwi Yadav won on the Raghopur assembly constituency by over 14,500 votes. But the victory margin does not reflect what a tough day it was for the RJD giant
Tejashwi Yadav has clinched the Raghopur assembly seat, defeating BJP’s Satish Kumar by over 14,500 votes, but the comfortable margin belies what was an intensely turbulent day for the RJD giant.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav started Friday on a high note, declaring, “We are going to win. A change is about to come.” However, he surely had a see-saw ride, with the trends shifting towards and away from him throughout the day.
It was a neck-and-neck contest in the Raghopur constituency. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Satish Kumar put up a strong fight against the RJD heavyweight.
Early trends initially appeared to back his optimism. Just 20 minutes after counting began, Tejashwi was in the lead by 893 votes, according to Pvalue Track. However, by around 11 am, the tide turned. BJP’s Satish Kumar surged ahead, leaving Tejashwi trailing by 1,273 votes.
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The day continued to be a rollercoaster for the RJD leader. He briefly regained a slender lead of 219 votes, only to slip behind again in subsequent rounds. By early afternoon, Tejashwi trailed Satish Kumar by 2,288 votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
But the topsy-turvy road did not end here, the downward slide continued, with Tejashwi behind by over 4,000 votes, then 7,000 votes by 3:38 pm, and at one point, over 9,000 votes.
However, Lalu Yadav's son made a comeback in dramatic fashion. By 4:30 pm, Tejashwi had reversed the trend, leading Satish Kumar by over 11,000 votes. The momentum continued, and after 29 out of 31 rounds of counting, he maintained a lead of 13,880 votes, according to the ECI at 5.15 pm.
The Raghopur bastion
Tejashwi, the incumbent MLA and leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly, has been a dominant figure in Raghopur, winning the seat in both 2015 and 2020 against Satish Kumar Yadav.
The constituency has long been a bastion of the Lalu Yadav family. Lalu Prasad Yadav won the seat in 1995 and 2000, serving as chief minister both times, while his wife Rabri Devi went on to represent Raghopur three times, first in a 2000 by-election and later in two subsequent assembly polls.
But Satish Yadav has been successful in challenging the Lalu family's influence in the past; he previously represented the Janata Dal (United) and won the Raghopur seat in 2010, defeating Rabri Devi.
Meanwhile, the overall trends pointed to a strong showing for the ruling NDA, with leads in over 200 seats by 5 pm and indications that the BJP was on track for one of its best tallies.
