Published: November 14, 2025, 8:14 PM IST

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, Tejashwi Yadav, emerged victorious in the Raghopur assembly constituency on Friday, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Satish Kumar by a margin of over 14,500 votes. While the final count showed a comfortable lead, the day of counting itself was a dramatic rollercoaster, reflecting both the volatility of Bihar’s electoral landscape and the resilience of the RJD heavyweight.

Tejashwi Yadav began the day with confidence, publicly declaring, “We are going to win. A change is about to come.” Early trends seemed to validate his optimism, as he led by 893 votes just twenty minutes after counting began, according to Pvalue Track. However, the momentum quickly shifted. By around 11 am, Satish Kumar had surged ahead, leaving Tejashwi trailing by 1,273 votes, signaling a fiercely contested battle in the heart of Raghopur.

The counting continued to oscillate throughout the day. Tejashwi briefly reclaimed a slender lead of 219 votes before slipping behind again. By early afternoon, the BJP candidate had extended his advantage to 2,288 votes, and the downward slide continued with Tejashwi trailing by over 4,000 votes, and then 7,000 votes by mid-afternoon. At one point, his deficit exceeded 9,000 votes, putting the RJD leader under immense pressure.

Despite the tense swings, Tejashwi staged a dramatic comeback. By 4:30 pm, he reversed the trend, leading Satish Kumar by over 11,000 votes. Momentum continued to favor him, and after 29 of the 31 rounds of counting, he maintained a lead of 13,880 votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). By the end of the day, Tejashwi’s victory margin settled at over 14,500 votes—a testament to both his enduring influence in Raghopur and the organizational strength of the RJD in its stronghold.

Raghopur: A Bastion of the Lalu Yadav Family

Raghopur has long been synonymous with the Lalu Yadav family, serving as a political bastion and a symbol of the RJD’s deep-rooted influence in Bihar. Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister, represented the constituency in 1995 and 2000, while his wife, Rabri Devi, went on to serve three terms, including a 2000 by-election and two subsequent assembly elections.

Tejashwi, Lalu’s son, has carried forward the family legacy, winning Raghopur in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections. His victory on Friday reinforced his position as the incumbent MLA and leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly, continuing the lineage of political dominance in the constituency.

Satish Kumar Yadav, however, has previously challenged the family’s grip on Raghopur. Representing the Janata Dal (United) in 2010, he defeated Rabri Devi, demonstrating that the constituency, while loyal to the Yadav family, has been competitive under certain political circumstances. This backdrop contributed to the tense and fluctuating trends observed during Friday’s counting process.

The Broader Political Context

While Tejashwi’s personal victory in Raghopur marked a win for the RJD, the overall trends of the Bihar assembly results pointed towards a strong showing for the ruling NDA. By 5 pm, NDA candidates were leading in over 200 seats, indicating that the BJP and its allies were on track to secure one of their best tallies in the state’s electoral history. This context added to the pressure on the RJD camp, as leaders navigated both constituency-level battles and the larger state-level outcomes.

For Tejashwi, the day was a microcosm of Bihar’s competitive political landscape: a test of resilience, strategy, and voter loyalty. The dramatic swings in the vote count highlighted the volatility inherent in modern elections, where early leads can shift rapidly and electoral outcomes are determined only after prolonged scrutiny.

Conclusion

Tejashwi Yadav’s triumph in Raghopur, despite the turbulent counting day, underscores both his personal political stature and the enduring influence of the Lalu Yadav family in Bihar politics. The rollercoaster of leads and setbacks on Friday reflected the high stakes and intense competition in one of the state’s most closely watched constituencies.

While the RJD secured a symbolic victory in Raghopur, the overall election results signaled a broader consolidation of the NDA’s power across Bihar, setting the stage for a dynamic political landscape in the coming years. For Tejashwi and the RJD, the win in Raghopur serves as both a personal vindication and a reminder of the challenges that lie ahead in countering the NDA’s momentum at the state level.