The political temperature in Bihar has surged after the BJP launched a sharp attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav by sharing a controversial “missing” poster on social media, days after the Mahagathbandhan’s crushing defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections.
The poster, shared by the official X handle of the BJP’s Bihar unit, features Tejashwi Yadav’s photograph and labels him a “9th fail.” It goes on to claim that the RJD leader was last seen “hiding his face from the media,” a direct jibe at his near absence from public view since the election results were announced.
Tejashwi’s low public visibility after the defeat has already drawn attention, with political opponents questioning his silence at a time when his party is facing internal turbulence. Following the electoral setback, murmurs of dissatisfaction within the RJD have grown louder, exposing cracks in the party’s leadership structure.
Adding to the turmoil, reports of family discord involving Tejashwi Yadav have also surfaced in recent weeks. His sister’s decision to distance herself from both the party and the family, citing disrespect and lack of accountability, further fueled speculation about internal unrest within the RJD camp.
Despite the criticism and political attacks, Tejashwi Yadav managed to consolidate his position within the opposition alliance. On November 29, MLAs of the Mahagathbandhan unanimously elected him as the leader of the coalition in the Bihar विधानसभा. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Tejashwi in Patna ahead of the five-day session of the state legislature.
The backdrop to the BJP’s aggressive messaging is the NDA’s emphatic victory in the Bihar Assembly Election 2025. The ruling alliance swept the polls with a commanding total of 202 seats in the 243-member House. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while the Janata Dal (United) staged a strong comeback, securing 85 seats.
NDA allies also performed impressively, with the Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party winning 19 seats, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) bagging five and four seats respectively.
In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan suffered a dramatic collapse, managing only 35 seats in total. The RJD, which had topped the charts in the 2020 elections, was reduced to just 25 seats, while the Congress struggled to win even six.
