"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar used money, muscle power and trickery but could not stop this 31-year-old. They could not stop the RJD from becoming the single-largest party," Tejashwi Yadav said.
RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan's CM face Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday said that the people's mandate in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 was in his favour and he is the winner even if Nitish Kumar is sitting on the chair of the chief minister.
“The mandate favoured Mahagathbandhan, but Election Commission’s result was in NDA's favour. This isn’t the first time that this has happened. In 2015, when Mahagathbandhan was formed, votes were in our favour but BJP made a back door entry to gain power,” Tejashwi told a press conference.
The opposition leader also alleged fraud in the counting of postal ballots and demanded a recount, flagging narrow margins in 20 seats.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar used money, muscle power and trickery but could not stop this 31-year-old. They could not stop the RJD from becoming the single-largest party," he added.
"See where Nitish Kumar's glow has gone. He has been pushed to third position. This is a mandate for change. Nitish Kumar is sitting in the chief minister's chair but we are in people's hearts," said the RJD leader, who was the opposition's chief ministerial candidate.
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Tejashwi Yadav's scathing remarks came two days after the National Democratic Alliance retained its power in Bihar with a thin margin by winning 125 seats of the 243 assembly constituencies, while the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan won 110 seats.
Meanwhile, the RJD emerged as the single largest party by winning all 75 seats it had contested in the elections.
Tejashwi Yadav demanded a recount of Bihar votes, flagging razor thin margins of defeat for his candidates. He also questioned why postal ballots were not counted in the beginning and alleged that they were declared invalid in many seats.
"The mandate was for the Mahagathbandhan. The chief minister wants to come in from the chor darwaza (back door)," the former deputy chief minister said.
Multiple exit polls had predicted Tejashwi Yadav's victory in these polls but Nitish Kumar bucked anti-incumbency to win a fourth straight term.