Bihar election 2025 results| ‘95 defeats for Rahul Gandhi’: BJP sharpens its attack on Congress after Bihar humiliation

As the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) surged towards a decisive victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, securing leads in over 200 of 243 constituencies, the party launched a pointed attack on Congress and its leader, Rahul Gandhi. The NDA, which includes Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and smaller allies like Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas), is poised to secure a commanding majority well above the 122-seat threshold. Within the alliance, BJP leads in 91 constituencies (having already won 15), JD(U) in 84 (with 9 wins), LJP (RV) in 20 (1 win), and other minor allies in a few seats.

The opposition, the Mahagathbandhan, trails far behind. The RJD leads in just 25 seats (with 4 victories), Congress in five (1 win), and the Left parties in a handful of constituencies. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj, which initially opened leads in four seats, has fallen behind, signalling that its electoral debut may not yield meaningful gains.

‘95 defeats in a row’: BJP targets Rahul Gandhi

Amid the decisive NDA leads, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya released a graphic highlighting Rahul Gandhi’s record of 95 electoral setbacks across India since he became a central campaigner for the Congress. The list spans nearly every major state and election cycle: Himachal Pradesh (2007, 2017), Punjab (2007, 2012, 2022), Gujarat (2007, 2012, 2017, 2022), Madhya Pradesh (2008, 2013, 2018, 2023), Maharashtra (2014, 2019, 2024), Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and multiple Northeast states.

Malviya tweeted: “Rahul Gandhi! Another election, another defeat! If there were awards for electoral consistency, he'd sweep them all. At this rate, even setbacks must be wondering how he finds them so reliably.” The graphic detailed assembly and parliamentary contests where the Congress under Rahul Gandhi either lost power or failed to make significant gains, reinforcing the perception of a persistent inability to convert campaigns into victories.

The BJP’s jab also highlighted Gandhi’s 16-day Voter Adhikar Yatra, covering 23 districts and focusing on alleged 'vote chori'. Despite this extensive mobilisation and media focus, Congress and the INDIA alliance failed to translate rhetoric into votes in Bihar, leaving the party with only six seats in the Mahagathbandhan tally.

Counting trends vindicate NDA strategy

Counting trends indicate a sweeping mandate for the NDA. Nitish Kumar’s governance record and BJP’s organisational machinery consolidated voter support across caste and regional lines. BJP leaders, including MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, mocked Congress further, invoking a Kabir couplet and suggesting that opposition leaders verify voter lists to confirm results.