"My curse came true": Madan Shah blames 'Chanakya' for RJD's 25-seat poll prediction in Bihar elections

Motihari (Bihar) [India], November 16 (ANI): Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Madan Shah has claimed that his "curse" on the party has come true, with the RJD winning just 25 seats in the recent Bihar Assembly elections.
Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Shah said he was still pained by the party's crushing defeat and alleged that a senior leader known as "Chanakya" was intent on destroying the party.
"This pain drove me mad. I went to meet Lalu ji in Patna. But nobody met me. I was overcome with grief and ended up tearing off my clothes. I fell to the ground and said that I am putting a curse that his party would be restricted to 25 seats, and it indeed happened," Shah said.
He further added, "I am still sad about the party. I am pained that the party lost, but what God does is good. The one at the party who is called 'Chanakya' is hell bent on destroying the party. Unless they are sacked from the party, nothing will improve there (RJD)."
Speaking on the allegation that he was asked to pay Rs 2.7 crore for the ticket, Shah said that this demand was not made directly to him.
"Lalu ji was not consulted on ticket distribution this time. So, the party has met this fate. I was not asked for money directly (for a ticket); it was done through the media. So, how could I have given the money to? I could not have thrown it on the road...I did not speak with Sanjay Yadav. Big leaders had said through the media that I would be asked for money in return for a ticket," he said.
Meanwhile, in the Bihar Assembly elections, the Mahagathbandhan secured just 35 seats, with the RJD winning only 25 seats, marking its worst performance, while the NDA won 202 seats, securing a three-fourths majority in the 243-member House. This is the second time the NDA has crossed the 200-mark in the assembly polls. In the 2010 polls, it had won 206 seats.
The RJD also saw its tally shrink, from 75 seats in 2020 to far fewer this time, revealing a broader erosion of the Mahagathbandhan's traditional support base.
Earlier in October, Shah broke down in public, claiming that he was promised a ticket by the Rashtriya Janata Dal for the upcoming 2025 Bihar assembly polls and alleging that when he did not pay the Rs 2.7 crore demanded for the candidature, his ticket was given to another candidate.
Speaking to ANI, Shah also said that the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly was "arrogant".
Shah was seen tearing his clothes and falling to the ground, weeping after giving chase to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's car at the latter's residence in Patna.
The Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 were held in two phases. Phase 1 was concluded on November 6 and Phase 2 on November 11. The counting of the votes was done on November 14, resulting in the NDA's victory in Bihar. (ANI)