In a crushing blow to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family amid the NDA’s statewide tsunami, Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav has lost the Mahua assembly seat to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP(RV)] candidate Sanjay Kumar Singh. Singh clinched victory on November 14, 2025, with 87,641 votes, defeating Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) incumbent Mukesh Kumar Raushan by 44,997 votes—Raushan polled 42,644. Tej Pratap finished a distant third with 35,703 votes, trailing Singh by over 51,938.
Mahua, a Yadav stronghold in Vaishali district with 65% voter turnout on November 6 (Phase 1), saw a fractured contest that highlighted family rifts and NDA’s OBC surge. Tej Pratap, expelled from RJD earlier this year after clashing with brother Tejashwi, formed JJD to reclaim his 2015 debut seat but couldn’t consolidate votes against LJP(RV)’s Paswan appeal and RJD’s hold.
From Flicker of Hope to Crushing Fall: Tej Pratap’s Lead Evaporates
Early postal ballots gave Tej Pratap a brief edge (leading after round 1), but LJP(RV) overtook in EVM rounds, with Singh’s margin swelling from 1,409 votes (round 1) to 31,830 (round 18) and 63,000+ (round 19). By round 23, Singh led by 38,704 over Raushan, with Tej Pratap stuck at 29,000+ votes in third. Jan Suraaj’s Indrajeet Pradhan trailed fourth.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanjay Kumar Singh | LJP(RV) | 87,641 | Winner (+44,997 over RJD) |
| Mukesh Kumar Raushan | RJD | 42,644 | Runner-up |
| Tej Pratap Yadav | JJD | 35,703 | Third (-51,938 from winner) |
| Indrajeet Pradhan | Jan Suraaj | ~10,000 (est.) | Fourth |
Final ECI tally; total valid votes: ~1.66 lakh. Check results.eci.gov.in for details.
A Family Rift and NDA Power Play: Mahua’s Shifting Sands
Tej Pratap, 27, won Mahua in 2015 (66,927 votes, 43.34% share) under RJD but sat out 2020 amid controversies. Raushan held it for RJD with 62,747 votes (36.48%), beating JD(U)’s Ashma Parveen. This time, the Yadav vote split—JJD vs. RJD—handed the seat to Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV), which polled 25,198 (14.65%) in 2020. Singh’s win boosts LJP(RV)’s 19 seats in NDA’s 208 tally, underscoring Paswan’s revival among Dalits.
Post-defeat, Tej Pratap conceded gracefully: “Bihar has chosen sushasan; I respect the verdict and will play a constructive role,” vowing a stronger return for youth and women. RJD’s Sunil Kumar Singh sparked controversy with warnings against “manipulation,” calling Tej Pratap a “faltu aadmi.” This loss, mirroring Tejashwi’s Raghopur defeat, amplifies Mahagathbandhan’s rout (28-33 seats) and family tensions, while NDA eyes Nitish Kumar’s 10th oath with PM Modi attending.
