Rahul Gandhi - BJP's biggest star campaigner, taunts Assam CM on Bihar poll outcome

Guwahati, Nov 14 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday mocked Rahul Gandhi for the grand old party's poll debacle and NDA's impressive showing in Bihar, saying the Congress leader is the BJP's biggest "star campaigner".

Talking to reporters here, CM Sarma said, "I mentioned this fact repeatedly during the poll campaign in Bihar that wherever Rahul Gandhi campaigns, the BJP is set to win those seats. This is true, and if Rahul Gandhi decides to campaign in Assam, we will welcome him as he would further ensure the BJP's win in the upcoming Assembly polls."

The Chief Minister also took a potshot at the recent meeting of opposition parties to make a united front to put up a strong fight against the BJP in the next election.

"The meeting of the opposition parties was convened actually to discuss the marriage of an opposition leader. We should not worry about the opposition parties here and more importantly, if Akhil Gogoi is present somewhere, a disaster is ought to happen," he added.

Notably, in a resounding poll verdict that cements the National Democratic Alliance's iron grip on Bihar, the ruling coalition stormed to a landslide, obliterating the majority mark of 122.

Led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), the NDA's tally was bolstered by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Voter turnout rose to 67.14 per cent, up nearly 10 percentage points from 2020, signalling robust participation amid high-stakes campaigning.

In stark contrast, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties, was decimated.

The RJD, the alliance's linchpin, scraped through with less than 40 seats, while Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation each faced massive defeat.

The NDA's 47.2 per cent vote share dwarfed the Mahagathbandhan's stagnant 37.3 per cent, a marginal rise from 37.23 per cent in 2020, highlighting how vote efficiency and consolidation propelled the incumbents to victory while fragmenting the Opposition's base.

This analysis delves into the microdynamics behind the Mahagathbandhan's electoral annihilation, drawing on data from the Election Commission of India trends, alliance arithmetic, and expert dissections.

The Grand Alliance's rout stems from a toxic mix of internal frailties, strategic blunders, and the NDA's masterful counter-mobilisation, turning anti-incumbency whispers into a non-starter.

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