NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, won his family bastion, Raghopur. In a narrow fight, Tejashwi polled 1,18,597 votes against BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav, who secured 1,04,065 votes. Meanwhile, Jan Suraaj candidate Chanchal Kumar received 3,086 votes, according to the ECI’s official update.Lalu family’s strongholdRaghopur has long been considered one of the safest seats for the Yadav family.Also read |NDA stuns Mahagathbandhan in Muslim dominated seats; JD(U) surges
Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi have both represented the constituency in the past.Tejashwi has held the seat since 2015, winning comfortably in 2015 and 2020.In the 2020 assembly elections, Tejashwi had secured a 38,000+ vote lead, reinforcing the region as an RJD fortress.Who challenged Tejashwi in Raghopur?BJP’s Satish Kumar Yadav reintroduced a strong challenge in Raghopur. Yadav previously defeated Rabri Devi in the 2010 elections while contesting as a JD(U) candidate, and his return to the constituency under the BJP banner has significantly reshaped the contest, tightening what was once considered a safe RJD seat.Also read |Tej Pratap Yadav stares at defeat in Mahua; LJP(RV) takes lead in key seatWhat exit polls predictedMost exit polls predicted a comfortable victory for the NDA, with some projecting the Mahagathbandhan to win.Several exit polls suggested RJD could emerge as the single-largest party, especially because of Tejashwi’s personal popularity and strong rallies.JD(U) was predicted to underperform, with some polls projecting the party in third place behind BJP and RJD.
