Early trends in Bihar election showed Tejashwi Yadav leading from Raghopur, while his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav was trailing badly in Mahua. Contest has become deeply personal within Lalu Prasad Yadav family after Tej was expelled from RJD.
The Bihar Assembly election counting began at 8 am, and within hours, a dramatic picture started emerging from two key constituencies linked to the Yadav family. Tejashwi Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan’s Chief Ministerial face, took an early lead in Raghopur. At the same time, his brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who is contesting from Mahua after his split from the RJD, slipped far behind in the early rounds.
Both Yadav brothers trail at 11:30
This election was always expected to be politically intense, but the brothers fighting from two different platforms has turned it into a personal battle inside Bihar’s most influential political family.
This election has become deeply personal for the family of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, with his two sons contesting from opposite political camps. After the second round of counting, both Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav were trailing. Tejashwi is behind in the family stronghold of Raghopur by more than 1,000 votes, while his elder brother Tej Pratap is also trailing from Mahua.
Tejashwi Yadav was leading at 10:50 in Raghopur
According to the official Election Commission of India updates at 10.50 am, Tejashwi Yadav was leading from Raghopur with a margin of 916 votes. He had secured 8,387 votes, while the BJP candidate Satish Kumar was trailing with 7,471 votes. Chanchal Kumar from Jan Suraaj had gained only 150 votes at this stage.
Raghopur has always been an important seat for the Yadav family. Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi have both represented it in the past. Tejashwi winning here is essential for the Mahagathbandhan, especially at a time when the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is showing a strong lead across the state.
Tej Pratap faces a tough battle in Mahua
In sharp contrast, the numbers from Mahua tell a very different story. As of the third round of counting, the results showed a big gap:
Sanjay Kumar Singh (LJP-RV): 10,301 votes
Tej Pratap Yadav (JJD): 1,500 votes
Mukesh Roshan (RJD): 6,781 votes
This means Tej Pratap was trailing the LJP (Ram Vilas) candidate by almost 9,000 votes. Even the RJD candidate was far ahead of him.
These early figures show a sharp decline compared to 2020, when Tej Pratap, contesting as an RJD candidate, had won the Hasanpur seat by more than 20,000 votes. His political journey today looks very different from the confident victory he enjoyed four years ago.
A tale of two brothers
The early counting trends paint a “tale of two brothers.” Tejashwi Yadav stands as the leader of the Opposition alliance, trying to return to power with the Mahagathbandhan. His campaign has focused on jobs, youth, and public welfare, which helped him connect strongly with young voters.
Tej Pratap, on the other hand, is fighting to build a separate identity through his new party, the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD). The split from the RJD has left him without the organisational strength and support that once helped him secure victories.
Their political journeys have moved in opposite directions since May this year, when their father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav expelled Tej Pratap from the party for six years, citing “irresponsible behaviour” and violating family values.
How the split happened
The expulsion followed a controversial social media post that appeared from Tej Pratap’s Facebook account. The post reportedly mentioned a long relationship with a woman named Anushka Yadav. Tej Pratap later claimed that his account had been hacked and the photos edited to defame him and his family. However, the RJD leadership took strict action, leading to the public fallout.
After the split, Tej Pratap formed the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) and built an alliance with five smaller Bihar parties, hoping to create a new political space for himself. He claimed he did not believe in exit polls and was confident of winning Mahua, saying he focused more on work than celebrations.
But as counting trends began, the early numbers showed the difficulty of contesting without the RJD’s voter base.
NDA crosses halfway mark
While the Yadav brothers made headlines in their own constituencies, the broader picture across Bihar showed the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in a strong position.
As per leads from 236 seats, these were the numbers at 10.50 am:
- NDA: Leading in 183 seats
- BJP: 76 seats
- JD(U): 82 seats
- LJP (RV): 21 seats
The BJP and JD(U) were performing strongly, with conversion rates of 67% and 64%.
On the other side, the Mahagathbandhan was trailing with only 48 leads:
- RJD: 37 seats
- Congress: 7 seats
- CPI(ML-L): 4 seats
AIMIM was ahead in two seats as well.
These figures match the trend seen in most exit polls, which had predicted a clear advantage for the NDA.
Key leaders ahead
Several big faces from the NDA were also leading:
- Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai)
- Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur)
- BJP leader Mangal Pandey (Siwan)
The counting process involved 4,372 counting tables and more than 18,000 counting agents, showing the scale of the operation. EVM counting began at 8:30 am after postal ballots were tallied.
A high-stakes election
The 2020 election had seen the NDA win 125 seats and form the government. But political equations changed in 2022 when Nitish Kumar left the BJP and formed a government with the Mahagathbandhan. This election, therefore, became a major test for both alliances.
For the Yadav family, however, this election has become much more personal. With Tejashwi leading and Tej Pratap trailing badly, the early trends reflect a deep political and emotional divide.
The final results will decide not only who governs Bihar but also how the Yadav family’s political story moves forward.
(With ANI inputs)