Counting of votes for the Bihar Assembly elections is underway, and early trends show the BJP-led NDA racing far ahead of the majority mark. As of 1 PM, the NDA is leading on 199 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan has maintained leads on only 38 seats.
Amid these trends, a statement from senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has drawn attention. Reacting to the early numbers, Tharoor said that it is important to wait for the Election Commission’s final announcement before drawing conclusions.
“We Must Review the Reasons for Defeat”
Tharoor acknowledged the NDA’s strong lead but emphasized caution:
“These are only trends. They (NDA) are ahead by a large margin, but we must wait for the Election Commission to discuss and declare the final results.”
The Congress MP added that the party must conduct a thorough review of the reasons behind its performance:
“The party has a responsibility to study the reasons in detail. Also remember, we were not the senior partner in this alliance — the RJD must also assess its own performance.”
“Election Outcomes Depend on Multiple Factors”
Offering a piece of advice to his party, Tharoor said that electoral wins and losses cannot be explained by a single cause:
“It is essential to look at our performance holistically. Elections depend on multiple factors.”
Did Women Voters Boost NDA?
There has been speculation that welfare schemes for women played a major role in NDA’s strong performance. Responding to this, Tharoor noted:
“Just before the model code of conduct came into effect, certain incentives were indeed announced for women voters. Whether we like it or not, such measures are valid under our law.”
