Tejashwi Yadav, the Chief Ministerial face of the Opposition’s Mahagathbandhan, was at one point trailing in his home seat behind BJP”s Satish Kumar. Yadav is now back in the lead for the Raghopur seat, and according to ECI data, he is in the lead by a thin margin of over 200 votes.
According to early trends, BJP candidate Satish Kumar took a clear lead. By 11.30 am, nearly three and a half hours after counting began, Tejashwi was trailing by more than 3,000 votes.
Despite all of this, the RJD leader sounded confident in the morning. Speaking to the media, he said the Opposition alliance would form the next government in Bihar. “It will be a people’s victory. Change will come. We are forming the government,” he said.
Significance of Raghopur
Raghopur has long been considered a stronghold of the RJD. Tejashwi’s father and party founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, as well as his mother Rabri Devi, have previously held this seat. Tejashwi himself has represented the constituency since 2015. In the 2020 Assembly polls, he won the seat with a huge margin of more than 38,000 votes.
This year, however, the contest has become more interesting. The BJP has fielded Satish Kumar Yadav, who had earlier defeated Rabri Devi in the 2010 polls as a JDU candidate. His presence has made the battle tougher for the RJD.
Notably, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has also put up a candidate in Raghopur. Kishor had created buzz earlier when he suggested he might contest from Raghopur. But later, he announced that his party leaders advised him not to enter the race and instead focus on leading the statewide campaign.
Raghopur remains one of the most closely watched seats in Bihar because of its history and political symbolism.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
