From ‘Unfair’ to ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar’: Deep dive into the INDIA bloc’s chaotic reaction to the NDA’s Bihar sweep. We analyze the Congress collapse, RJD’s blame game, and the factors—like women voters and welfare schemes—that crushed the opposition.
INDIA Bloc Infighting After Bihar Election Loss
The massive, decisive mandate delivered by the people of Bihar in favour of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has sent shockwaves through the Opposition, leaving the INDIA bloc grappling with an existential crisis. While the NDA camp, led by the enduring political resilience of Nitish Kumar and the widespread appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, celebrated a historic sweep, the Opposition’s reaction has been a chaotic mix of denial, bitter recrimination, and calls for immediate alliance introspection. The headline sums up the two polarized reactions: some allies resignedly accepted the verdict with the maxim, ‘Jo jeeta wohi sikandar‘ (He who wins is Alexander), while others cried ‘Unfair!’ and blamed systemic manipulation.
The core of the Opposition’s reaction stems from the sheer magnitude of the loss. The Mahagathbandhan, a key regional pillar of the broader INDIA bloc, suffered a near total collapse. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which was the single largest party in the previous election, was drastically reduced to its lowest tally in years. However, the most significant failure that has sparked intense internal scrutiny is the abysmal performance of the Congress party. Contesting a substantial number of seats, the Congress’s conversion rate plummeted, essentially acting as an anchor that dragged down the entire Opposition’s arithmetic.
In the immediate aftermath, the INDIA bloc’s initial response was to point fingers outwards. Senior leaders from the alliance revived allegations of ‘vote theft’ and manipulation of the electoral process, specifically citing the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The argument posited was that the removal of lakhs of names from the electoral rolls, under the pretext of cleaning up the list, disproportionately affected their traditional vote banks. However, these claims found little traction with the electorate, and the narrative failed to resonate as a primary election issue, leaving the bloc looking for excuses rather than conducting a deep electoral strategy review.
