New Delhi [India], November 5 : As Bihar is set to vote for the first phase of assembly elections tomorrow, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Wednesday asserted that there would be "no surprise" if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and alliance fails to secure even 100 seats in the polls, attributing it to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "inability" to work and campaign for the coalition.
Speaking to ANI, the Congress MP said, "This time, Nitish Kumar's inability to work, his inability to tour, and the way the BJP has ignored him will lead to a reduction in the BJP's seats. JDU's seats will also be reduced. Overall, I can say that the NDA will get significantly fewer seats, and this will directly benefit the alliance of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav."
"He (Union Home Minister Amit Shah) is giving the figure of 160 to save his sinking boat. In fact, I am saying this with complete confidence that no one should be surprised if the BJP and the alliance do not reach even three digits," Tiwari added.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh asserted that the ruling NDA is going to form the government again in Bihar with a two-thirds majority.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, Rajnath Singh said, "It's clear that the NDA is going to form the government here with a two-thirds majority. The people of Bihar have made up their minds, and they have made up their minds because of the way Nitish Kumar has accelerated development here over the last twenty years. If anyone can enhance Bihar's reputation not only across India but also internationally, it's the NDA government."
Voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on 121 constituencies will be conducted on November 6 (Thursday). The remaining 122 constituencies will vote in the second phase on November 11.
The 2025 Bihar Elections will have the main contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan.
NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
The Mahagathbandhan led by Rashtriya Janata Dal includes the Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state.