Patna: Two constituencies have come to define the political mood in Bihar on counting day: Raghopur and Mahua. Both seats, long associated with the RJD’s first family, are seeing a dramatic and unexpected drift, with Lalu Prasad’s sons—Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav—trailing as of 11.30am.
For Tejashwi, the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, the morning began on a promising note. He held a lead in Raghopur until around 11am, before slipping behind within half an hour. By the end of the fourth round, BJP candidate Satish Kumar had opened up a lead of 17,599 votes, while Tejashwi stood at 14,583, trailing by more than 3,000 votes. Satish Kumar is no stranger to the constituency—he famously defeated Tejashwi’s mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi in the 2010 Assembly polls.
Political analysts say the early trends reinforce claims made by Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor and even Tej Pratap, both of whom had suggested that Tejashwi might struggle to hold Raghopur this time. With the leader of a seven-party opposition coalition now fighting to retain his own seat, the symbolism is impossible to ignore.
Across in Mahua, Tej Pratap Yadav—contesting not on an RJD ticket but as a Janshakti Janta Dal candidate—is also trailing. His primary challenger is Dr Mukesh Roshan of the RJD, in what has become a rare but telling intra-family political split. The constituency has further fragmented with Indrajit Pradhan of the Jan Suraaj Party in the contest, and Amit Kumar representing the AIMIM.
The strongest early gains in Mahua, however, have come from the LJP (Ram Vilas) candidate Sanjay Kumar Singh, who is currently leading. His rise adds yet another layer of complexity to a seat that has turned into one of the most unpredictable contests of the election.
As counting progresses, Raghopur and Mahua have emerged as barometers of the RJD’s organisational strength, the Mahagathbandhan’s messaging, and the shifting loyalties of Bihar’s electorate.
