Bihar Assembly Election Results: Congress leaders blame CEC Gyanesh Kumar, SIR for poll debacle

Counting of votes in the Bihar Assembly election is underway today, and early trends have revealed that the exit polls were right. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) looks set to return to power once again in the state, and this time with a far more decisive margin.

As per current trends, the Congress is leading only in five seats in Bihar while the BJP is ahead in a whopping 81 seats, the JD(U) in 80 seats, the LJPRV in 22 seats, the RJD in 33 seats, the CPI(ML)(L) in 6 seats, and HAMS in 4 seats.

Congress leaders have reacted sharply to their dismal show in the Bihar polls, with MP Manickam Tagore saying in a post on X. “When you delete 65 lakh voters--mostly from the Opposition's voters --what do you expect on result day? Democracy cannot survive if the playing field is tilted before the match even begins.”

Follow live updates of the Bihar Election results right here!

Currently, the NDA is way past the majority mark, leading in a whopping 182 seats while the Mahagathbandhan is ahead only in 57 seats.

In an interaction with the media, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera blamed the results on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying, "As I said, the initial trends in itself show that Gyanesh Kumar appears to be succeeding against the people of Bihar. This fight is not between the BJP, Congress, RJD, and JDU. This is a direct fight between Gyanesh Kumar and the people of India."

"These are just early trends, we're waiting a bit. The initial trends certainly suggest that Gyanesh Kumar is gaining an upper hand over the people of Bihar... I can't underestimate the people of Bihar. They have shown courage. They showed it despite the SIR. Now, let's see in the coming hours how effective Gyanesh Kumar will be," Khera further added.

In a similar vein, Congress leader Udit Raj also pointed out that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral polls carried out by the EC was the reason for the grand old party's debacle in the Bihar polls.

Check how key candidates are performing in the Bihar polls here!

In an interview with ANI, Raj said, "SIR is leading. I won't say that this victory is of the BJP-JD(U); this is a victory of the Election Commission, of SIR. After the voter list was sanitised, lakhs of discrepancies were pointed out, but the EC didn't respond to even one. When objections were being raised, 89 lakh objections were raised; still, the EC said that nobody is raising any complaint. When they stoop to this level of cheating, what can we say? This is murder of democracy..."

He further added, "If you delete the names of Opposition voters and send back thousands of voters despite them having digital slips...there was a wave of change in Bihar...BJP leaders were chased away by people at several locations. So, how are they winning? I feel this is a victory of SIR."

Women were given ₹10,000 each: Ashok Gehlot

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is also Congress' senior observer for Bihar, has claimed that women were given ₹10,000 ahead of the elections, but the EC did not take any step.

“Bihar results are disappointing, there is no doubt about it. The kind of atmosphere I saw there - women were given ₹10,000 each; it was being given even when the Election Campaign was ongoing...EC remained a mute spectator. Why did it not stop this? It should have, but it didn't...” he said in an interaction with the media, further adding, “This means that what Rahul Gandhi said for Vote Chori, this is what Vote Chori is. If fair elections are not held, if rigging takes place, if bopoth capturing takes place or there is cheating and money is being distributed - EC didn't take any action, they were colluding with the ruling party.”

The senior leader also said, "Money is being misused these days. In Maharashtra, Crores of Rupees were given to candidates. Congress and RJD don't have money. So, a threat looms over democracy. Winning election is one thing, NDA will win and form the Govt. Modi ji became the PM thrice but I believe that it is the Congress ideology which is in interest of the nation. The country needs Congress. They (NDA) gathered money through electoral bonds..."