Tejashwi Yadav's grand ambition crumbles: 5 key reasons behind his crushing defeat

Patna (The Uttam Hindu): The results of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections have largely cleared the picture. The people of Bihar have dealt a major blow to the Grand Alliance led by Tejashwi Yadav and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). As of 10:45 a.m. on November 14, trends show the Grand Alliance narrowly missing out on just 54 seats, while the NDA (BJP-JDU) is poised for a landslide victory with 185 seats.

In the latest trends, Tejashwi Yadav himself is trailing in his own seat. It is clear that the people of Bihar have not only defeated the Grand Alliance and Tejashwi Yadav, but have completely rejected them.

The question is, how did a party and its leaders, who were claiming a close contest right up until election day, end up so utterly defeated? Let's examine the five main reasons behind this crushing defeat:

1. Fear of 'Yadav Raj'? The gamble of 52 Yadav candidates backfired

A key reason for the RJD's defeat was its decision to field 52 Yadav candidates. This decision not only reinforced the party's "casteist" image but also alienated the non-Yadav vote bank.

Bihar's politics is based on caste, with Yadavs (14% of the population) forming the RJD's core vote bank. However, the RJD's allocation of 52 (or 36%) of the 144 seats to Yadavs sparked a public perception of "Yadav Raj." This alienated upper-caste and extremely backward voters from the Grand Alliance. The BJP also capitalized on the "Yadav Raj" narrative in its campaign.

Analysts believe that if Tejashwi had limited himself to 30-35 Yadav tickets, his share of the Kurmi-Koeri vote could have increased by 10-15%. This is similar to what Akhilesh Yadav did in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when he fielded only five Yadav candidates and secured victory by wooing the remaining backward castes and upper castes.

2. Not Treating Allies with Equality

The biggest flaw in Tejashwi Yadav's strategy proved to be his failure to treat his allies—Congress, the Left, and smaller parties—with "equal consideration." Disputes over seat-sharing weakened the alliance, and Tejashwi's "RJD-centric" approach divided the opposition.

The result was that vote transfer failed, allowing the NDA to appear "united." Congress emphasized a "guarantee" manifesto, but Tejashwi prioritized "jobs." Furthermore, Tejashwi also named the Grand Alliance's manifesto "Tejaswi Pranay" and put himself at the forefront, which irritated his allies. Even at rallies, there were fewer pictures of Rahul Gandhi than Tejashwi.

3. Lack of concrete blueprint

Tejashwi Yadav's biggest mistake was that he made numerous promises, but failed to present a concrete blueprint. Voters distrusted promises like a government job for every household, pensions, women's empowerment, and a review of prohibition.

The lack of funding, an implementation plan, or a time-bound blueprint created distrust. He himself couldn't answer the question of "government jobs for every household," and kept saying daily that "the blueprint will be out in the next two days," but that day never arrived, even after the elections.

4. The Grand Alliance's "pro-Muslim"

image became another major reason for Tejashwi Yadav's defeat. While victory for the RJD or its allies might have been possible in Muslim-majority constituencies, it suffered significant losses across the state.

According to reports, the RJD lost votes from the Yadav community in many areas. Tejashwi Yadav's promise to not implement the Waqf Bill in Bihar if he came to power also displeased many Yadavs. The BJP benefited from the virality of Lalu Yadav's old speech in Parliament against the Waqf Bill.

5. 'Confusion' about his father Lalu Prasad Yadav

Throughout this election, Tejashwi Yadav appeared confused about his father Lalu Prasad Yadav's legacy. He adopted Lalu Prasad Yadav's social justice agenda, but fearing the "jungle raj" image, he minimized his image on posters.

This double standard backfired. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a Gopalganj rally, "Tejashwi is hiding Lalu's sins." Analysts believe that in his attempt to appeal to the "new generation," Tejashwi relegated Lalu to the sidelines in posters, sending a message of "insult" among his core voters.