Riding high on the Modi-Shah magic, the formidable BJP-Janata Dal (United) alliance won 39 out of 40 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.

The grand alliance, which includes RJD), Congress, RLSP, HAM Secular, and VIP managed to win only one seats in the State.  Congress candidate Dr Mohd Jawed defeated JD(U) candidate Syed Mohd Ashraf by a margin less than 1,0000 votes in Kishanganj.

People of Bihar voted for the BJP and its alliance JD(U) and LJP, rising above caste, class, creed and religion.

Majority of Yadav and Muslim areas also voted for BJP-JD (U) alliance in the State. Lalu’s absentee from active politics impacted the prospects of the RJD.

Lalu is currently in jail.

BJP-JD (U) alliance got 53.35 per cent vote share while the Grand Alliance led by RJD and Congress managed to get only 27.1 per cent vote share. The BJP managed got 23.63 per cent votes while its alliance JD (U) got 21.36 per cent and LJP 8.28 per cent votes in the State. The RJD got 15.7 per cent vote share while its alliance Congress got 7.9 per cent vote share. Interestingly, RLSP led by Upendra Kushwaha got only 3.56 per cent vote share. Kushwaha has threatened of ‘bloodshed’ in the State if he could not win the seat.

All prominent leaders of the grand alliance - Shatrughan Sinha from Patna Sahib, Sharad Yadav from Madhepura, Upendra Kushwaha from Karakat, Mira Kumar from Sasaram,Tariq Anwar from Katihar and Kanhaiya Kumar from Begusarai lost their seats. 

In Patna Sahib seat, BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad got over 62 per cent vote against former actor turned politician, Shatrughan Sinha (Congress ), who managed only over 31 per cent votes. The seat was previously held by Sinha, who moved from the BJP to the Congress in April.

In Begusarai, BJP leader Giriraj Singh won the seat by a margin of over 4.16 lakh votes against CPI(ML) candidate Kanhaiya Kumar got only 2.67 lakh votes.  Singh secured 56.48 per cent vote while Kumar 22.2 per cents vote.  RJD candidate got only 16.20 per cent votes.

Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misha Bharti is trailing her seat against BJP Ram Kripal Yadav in Patliputra.  Misha got 43.07 per cent vote while Yadav obtained 48.14 per cent vote. Sharad Yadav also trailing in Madhepura.

The ruling BJP-Janata Dal(United) alliance was in direct fight against RJD-Congress led Grand Alliance. Interestingly, the BJP had compromised and given more space to its allies, fielding candidates in just 17. JD (U) has contested on 17 seats each and the LJP on six seats. The Lok Sabha in Bihar was also electoral test for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to join NDA and declare Bihar a dry State. Lalu factor was also missing in the polls.

The exit polls has predicted that the BJP-JD(U)-LJP alliance may win minimum 38 out of the 40 seats, while the RJD-Congress led ‘Mahagathbandhan’ may only bag maximum 2 seats.  Interestingly,  there are five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, where NOTA got over 30,000 votes. NOTA got highest votes in Gopal Ganj with over 50,000 votes, followed by West Champaran  of 45,000 votes. There are 15 seats where NOTA got over 20,000 votes in the State.

BJP’s candidate from Saran Rajeev Pratap Rudi also leading against RJD candidate Chandrika Rai. Rudy got 52.94 per cent vote while Rai obtained only 38.4 per cent vote. Tej Pratap Yadav had opposed Rai candidature from the party while Tejaswi backed him. This has led to tussle in the RJD which was culminated during campaign as Tej Pratap had campaigned against Rai.

Sharad Yadav from Madhepura is also  trailing a margin of over 2.51 lakh votes from JD (U) candidate Dinesh Chandra Yadav. Congress candidate Meira Kumar also trailing in Sasaram from JD (U) candidate Chhedi Paswan by a margin of over 1.63 lakh votes.

Union Minsiter Radha Mohan Singh also leading against RLSP candidate Akash Kumar Singh by a margin of over 2.66 lakh vote in Purvi Champaran.

In Katihar, Congress candidate Tariq Anwar is trailing by a margin of over 5,50,00 votes to JD (U) candidate Dulal Chand Goswami.

RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha also trailing in Karakat where Mahabali Singh of JD (U) won the seat by a margin of 8,5000 votes.

In Arrah, former bureaucrat and Union Minister RK Singh defeated CPI(ML) candidate Raju Yadav by a margin of over 1.38 lakh votes.  RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh lost Vaishali seat by a margin of over 2.28 lakh vote to LJP leader Veena Devi.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha General Elections, the BJP and its allies Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) had won 31 Lok Sabha seats, RJD-Congress-NCP grabbed seven and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (U) was restricted to two seats.

The caste factor has been a major factor in the selection of candidates by both the NDA and the Grand Alliance. While NDA has focused on the political combination of upper castes (BJP), JDU (non-Yadav OBCs, particularly MBC votes) and LJP (Paswan votes) while RJD has hoped to expand its social base (political equation of MY) in the absence of Lalu, with the help of its smaller allies like former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-headed HAM (Maha Dalits), former union minister Upendra Prasad-headed RLSP (Kushwaha) and VIP (Nishad). The Lok Sabha poll was also an opportunity for Lalu’s son Tejashwi to establish himself as mass leader but he failed.