Bihar: Tejashwi calls exit polls BJP-scripted, claims INDIA bloc will form govt

RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) leader and Bihar Assembly Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday rejected exit poll predictions that forecast a return of the NDA government in Bihar, alleging that such projections were “orchestrated” at the behest of the BJP’s top leadership.

“Exit polls are nothing. These forecasts have been made at the direction of the BJP's top leadership,” Yadav said at a press conference in Patna, dismissing surveys that showed the NDA ahead of the Opposition INDIA bloc in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

The exit polls released by multiple agencies on Tuesday projected a poor showing for the Opposition alliance and a lacklustre debut for Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party. But Yadav asserted that the ground reality told a different story.

“The INDIA bloc is going to form the government with a thumping majority,” he said confidently. “The high turnout of voters in the Bihar assembly polls indicates that people want a change in government. They voted in favour of the Mahagathbandhan. We will take the oath on 18 November.”

Yadav reiterated that approximately 72 lakh additional voters had participated in the elections this time, reflecting what he described as a “decisive public mandate for change”.

Bihar recorded a record voter turnout of nearly 69 per cent in the second and final phase of polling on Tuesday — the highest in the state’s electoral history. The first phase on 6 November saw 65.09 per cent turnout across 121 Assembly segments.

The counting of votes is scheduled for 14 November, but Yadav cautioned against any alleged attempts by the ruling NDA alliance to influence the process. “BJP leaders will certainly try to delay the counting process. We will not allow this to happen at any cost. We are keeping a close watch on their activities,” he said.

The RJD leader’s remarks came amid a fierce political battle in Bihar, where both the NDA and INDIA bloc have claimed momentum following the record voter turnout. For Yadav, however, the verdict appears already written — one, he insists, that will deliver “a clear mandate for change”.

With PTI inputs