"Mahagathbandhan unlikely to cross three digits in Bihar Polls": Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma

Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 26 (ANI): Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma expressed strong confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will secure more than a two-thirds majority in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, while claiming that the opposition Mahagathbandhan will fail to reach the three-digit mark.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Sharma said, "We are going to secure more than a two-thirds majority, and even if Congress, RJD, AIMIM, and potentially SP support them, they are unlikely to win three-digit seat counts collectively."
Earlier, on Thursday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had taken a dig at Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav following his announcement as the Chief Ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan, saying that his "happiness is for a limited time."
"Tejashwi Yadav's happiness over the announcement is for a limited time, as I believe Congress and its allies won't achieve a majority. They can't reach triple digits," Sharma told ANI.
The Mahagathbandhan on Thursday cleared the air regarding the face of their alliance, as Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav was declared as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2025 state elections.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference in Patna attended by senior alliance leaders, including Congress's Ashok Gehlot, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani, and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.
Alongside Tejashwi's nomination, Mukesh Sahani was declared the alliance's Deputy Chief Ministerial face for the polls.
Following Tejashwi Yadav's announcement as Mahagathbandhan's face for the Bihar elections, the National Democratic Alliance came out heavy at the RJD leader, claiming that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) "tortured" Congress and other parties in the Mahagathbandhan to declare RJD leader as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the alliance for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary alleged that the RJD fielded candidates against Congress and alliance partners to force them to accept Tejashwi as the CM face.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Samrat Choudhary said, "Lalu Yadav declared the CM face of Mahagathbandhan through hooliganism and torturing Congress and other parties, by fielding candidates against them, just the way they spread 'jungle raj' in Bihar."
The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections are set to witness a direct contest between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan. The NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD, includes the Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) [CPI(ML)] led by Dipankar Bhattacharya, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM], and Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has announced that it will contest all 243 assembly seats in the state.
The Bihar assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 14. (ANI)