Patna: Senior leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal have levelled serious allegations against the Bihar government and the Election Commission, claiming that electronic voting machines were “tampered with” during the state’s assembly elections. According to party leaders, the alleged “operation” was conducted from Patna’s Maurya Hotel, with the involvement of several ministers who are now “under scrutiny”.
Crushing defeat prompts internal review
The Mahagathbandhan suffered a heavy defeat in the election, securing only 35 seats, of which the RJD won 25. This marks a dramatic fall from last year, when the party had emerged as the largest political force.
A meeting of the RJD legislature party was held in Patna on Monday evening to review the loss. According to those present, one of the key observations was that “EVM theft” had taken place on a significant scale.
‘Votes were managed through EVMs’: RJD leaders
RJD MLA Bhai Virendra alleged that votes were stolen by manipulating EVMs under a centrally coordinated plan.
“Everyone knows who sat in Maurya Hotel and handled what work. Votes were managed through the EVM—that is why we lost,” he said.
He raised doubts about his own winning margin from the Maner constituency, saying he should have secured over 50,000 votes, but won by only 20,000. “There was a conspiracy in my constituency as well. We are collecting evidence and will take legal action,” he added.
‘This was not a normal election’: senior leaders question process
Veteran party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said the meeting unanimously endorsed Tejashwi Yadav as the leader of the legislature party. Another senior MLA, Alok Mehta, described the 2025 election as “not a normal contest”.
“Nobody expected this kind of result,” Mehta said. “The party is gathering evidence. Once we have everything, we may consider legal action.”
Mehta also criticised the conduct of the administration during the polls, saying officials appeared to be “guided from elsewhere”.
“The manner in which the results were shaped was extremely calculated. We are verifying all developments,” he said.
Tejashwi Yadav returns as Leader of Opposition
At the end of the review meeting, Tejashwi Yadav was re-elected as the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and former chief minister Rabri Devi were present during the deliberations.
Election results: NDA sweeps, Mahagathbandhan struggles
The Mahagathbandhan won 35 seats in total:
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RJD – 25
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Congress – 6
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CPI (ML) – 2
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CPI (M) – 1
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IPP – 1
The NDA registered a decisive victory with 202 seats, including:
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BJP – 89
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JD(U) – 85
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LJP (Ram Vilas) – 19
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HAM (S) – 5
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RLM – 4
