Bihar Lok Sabha Election Results: LJP Wins Vaishali, BJP's Giriraj Singh Leads by 3,45,256 Votes From Begusarai
According to the latest available data, there are a total of 7,07,43,593 eligible voters in Bihar, of which 3,74,41,954 are male, 3,32,99,233 female and 2,406 voters of the Third Gender. The state went to polls in seven phases.
Election Results in Bihar, An Acid Test for Nitish Kumar as BJP Looks to Consolidate (Image: PTI)
As first results start to come in Bihar, the NDA alliance has opened its account in the state with JD(U) and BJP winning one seats each. While JD(U)'s Baidyanath Prasad Mahto has won Valmiki Nagar seat, BJP's Gopal Jee Thakur has defeated RJD's Abdul Bari Siddiqui in Darbhanga. With trends for all 40 seat in Bihar in, BJP is leading on 16 of the 17 seats it is contesting in the state. For Nitish Kumar, the Election Results in Bihar are perhaps the most important in his life. Not just one of the 626 candidates contesting across 40 parliamentary seats, this will also be the first major election for Nitish Kumar after he pulled out of the 'mahagathbandhan' government in July 2017. While JD(U) and LJP are contesting on 17 and 6 seats respectively, the BJP, which had won 22 seats on its own in 2014, has fielded candidates in the remaining 17 constituencies. If the election results lead to a BJP rout, as predicted by the exit polls, experts argued that Nitish Kumar's own stature within his alliance with the BJP would reduce. On the other side of the spectrum is the 'mahagathbandhan' of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RJD), Congress, Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtirya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Jitan Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM), Mukesh Sahni's Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP), and Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). The state went to polls in seven phases. Over the last five Lok Sabha elections between 1998 and 2014, RJD has been the most successful party in the state in terms of Vote-share, getting the highest number of votes in three of them – 1998, 1999, and 2004.
Follow all the live updates of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 here: Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 LIVE: Vote Counting Starts at 8am as India Awaits Verdict of Modi vs Rahul Referendum
Top Developments:
1. Misa Bharti leading by 752 votes in Pataliputra. She is pitted against union minister Ramkripal Yadav of BJP.
2. For the opposition, a key obstacle remains Nitish Kumar’s grip on the backward castes in the state. The RJD, on the other hand, was trying to consolidate non-Yadav OBC votes. The party, for the first time, is contesting in less than 25 seats while hoping that its smaller allies -- which hold sway over some OBC voter -- will help it secure more votes.
3. According to the Census 2011, the population of Bihar stands at over 10 crore. Demographically, 89 per cent of the population is rural. At 16.87 per cent, the state of Bihar has one of the highest concentration of Muslims in the country. Other than this, over 82 per cent of the population is Hindu. Others are below one per cent.
ALSO READ: Once Part of Illegal Liquor-making Business, These Women in Bihar Now Owe Allegiance to Nitish Kumar
4. Caste was a key consideration in the selection of candidates, with both sides remaining aware of caste-based historic polling patterns in the state. While the NDA was focusing on the political combination of upper castes (BJP), JDU (non-Yadav OBCs, particularly MBC votes) and LJP (Paswan votes) — the RJD had hoped to expend its social base (political equation of Muslim-Yadav) 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).
5. While most of the Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar are heading for a direct contest between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and grand alliance, rebel candidates from several parties are likely to pose multi-corner contests in at least half a dozen seats in the state. These are: Jehanabad, Madhepura, Banka, Sheohar and Maharajganj.
6. Apart from caste, the twin issues of national security and nationalism worked in the BJP’s favour across the state. The RJD found itself constantly having to counter the NDA on issues such as Pulwama attacks and Pakistan. Instead it highlighted unemployment, the demand for special status to Bihar and promises made by Modi in the 2014 LS and the 2015 assembly polls.
ALSO READ: Caste or National Issues? This is How Bihar’s First-Time Voters Are Choosing Their Lok Sabha Leader
7. NDA throughout its campaigns also highlighted schemes like Ayushmaan Bharat, Ujjawala and construction of toilets. Nitish’s development agenda, particularly the availability of bijali, sadak and pani even in the remotest areas was helping the NDA avoid local factors to become poll issues.
8. Although the RJD had opposed the Centre’s decision to implement the upper castes’ quota, it failed to develop it as a poll issue in the absence of Lalu Prasad Yadav. This was also for the first time that Bihar moved to polls without Lalu Prasad Yadav. RJD head Yadav has been convicted in the fodder scam and is now in jail.
9. Apart from the veterans, Kanhaiya Kumar, a candidate for CPI(M) in Begusarai drew considerable attention. BJP’s Giriraj Singh shifted from his traditional seat of Nawada to fight the JNU passout. RJD’s Tanveer Hassan contested from the same seat. He had lost by a thin margin during a Modi wave in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Union minister RK Singh was the BJP nominee from Ara. CPI(ML), which got this seat in its share in the Grand Alliance, had fielded Raju Yadav.
ALSO READ: Despite Respect For Nitish Kumar, Bihar's Most Influential Muslim Body Hesitant to Vote for NDA
10. Bihar has six major regions —Bhojpur, Champaran, Mithilanchal, Seemanchal, Kosi and Magadh-Pataliputra, most of which witnessed slight rise in voter turnout, more so for women. Experts opine that may have worked in NDA’s favour given the legacy of Nitish Kumar apparently having an undivided constituency of women.
(Get detailed and live results of each and every seat in the Lok Sabha elections and state Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to know which candidate/party is leading or trailing and to know who has won and who has lost and by what margin. Our one-of-its-kind Election Analytics Centre lets you don a psephologist’s hat and turn into an election expert. Know interesting facts and trivia about the elections and see our informative graphics. Elections = News18)
Follow all the live updates of Lok Sabha Elections 2019 here: Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 LIVE: Vote Counting Starts at 8am as India Awaits Verdict of Modi vs Rahul Referendum
Top Developments:
1. Misa Bharti leading by 752 votes in Pataliputra. She is pitted against union minister Ramkripal Yadav of BJP.
2. For the opposition, a key obstacle remains Nitish Kumar’s grip on the backward castes in the state. The RJD, on the other hand, was trying to consolidate non-Yadav OBC votes. The party, for the first time, is contesting in less than 25 seats while hoping that its smaller allies -- which hold sway over some OBC voter -- will help it secure more votes.
3. According to the Census 2011, the population of Bihar stands at over 10 crore. Demographically, 89 per cent of the population is rural. At 16.87 per cent, the state of Bihar has one of the highest concentration of Muslims in the country. Other than this, over 82 per cent of the population is Hindu. Others are below one per cent.
ALSO READ: Once Part of Illegal Liquor-making Business, These Women in Bihar Now Owe Allegiance to Nitish Kumar
4. Caste was a key consideration in the selection of candidates, with both sides remaining aware of caste-based historic polling patterns in the state. While the NDA was focusing on the political combination of upper castes (BJP), JDU (non-Yadav OBCs, particularly MBC votes) and LJP (Paswan votes) — the RJD had hoped to expend its social base (political equation of Muslim-Yadav) 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).
5. While most of the Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar are heading for a direct contest between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and grand alliance, rebel candidates from several parties are likely to pose multi-corner contests in at least half a dozen seats in the state. These are: Jehanabad, Madhepura, Banka, Sheohar and Maharajganj.
6. Apart from caste, the twin issues of national security and nationalism worked in the BJP’s favour across the state. The RJD found itself constantly having to counter the NDA on issues such as Pulwama attacks and Pakistan. Instead it highlighted unemployment, the demand for special status to Bihar and promises made by Modi in the 2014 LS and the 2015 assembly polls.
ALSO READ: Caste or National Issues? This is How Bihar’s First-Time Voters Are Choosing Their Lok Sabha Leader
7. NDA throughout its campaigns also highlighted schemes like Ayushmaan Bharat, Ujjawala and construction of toilets. Nitish’s development agenda, particularly the availability of bijali, sadak and pani even in the remotest areas was helping the NDA avoid local factors to become poll issues.
8. Although the RJD had opposed the Centre’s decision to implement the upper castes’ quota, it failed to develop it as a poll issue in the absence of Lalu Prasad Yadav. This was also for the first time that Bihar moved to polls without Lalu Prasad Yadav. RJD head Yadav has been convicted in the fodder scam and is now in jail.
9. Apart from the veterans, Kanhaiya Kumar, a candidate for CPI(M) in Begusarai drew considerable attention. BJP’s Giriraj Singh shifted from his traditional seat of Nawada to fight the JNU passout. RJD’s Tanveer Hassan contested from the same seat. He had lost by a thin margin during a Modi wave in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Union minister RK Singh was the BJP nominee from Ara. CPI(ML), which got this seat in its share in the Grand Alliance, had fielded Raju Yadav.
ALSO READ: Despite Respect For Nitish Kumar, Bihar's Most Influential Muslim Body Hesitant to Vote for NDA
10. Bihar has six major regions —Bhojpur, Champaran, Mithilanchal, Seemanchal, Kosi and Magadh-Pataliputra, most of which witnessed slight rise in voter turnout, more so for women. Experts opine that may have worked in NDA’s favour given the legacy of Nitish Kumar apparently having an undivided constituency of women.
(Get detailed and live results of each and every seat in the Lok Sabha elections and state Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to know which candidate/party is leading or trailing and to know who has won and who has lost and by what margin. Our one-of-its-kind Election Analytics Centre lets you don a psephologist’s hat and turn into an election expert. Know interesting facts and trivia about the elections and see our informative graphics. Elections = News18)