Left Routed in Bihar With Just Three Seats as CPI(ML) Wins Paliganj and Karakat

Overview

• Early Election Commission trends to 1pm showed CPI(ML)-Liberation leading in four seats, with CPI and CPI(M) each ahead in one, before later counts consolidated into far fewer wins.
• Final results reported later indicated CPI(ML)-Liberation won Paliganj and Karakat, CPI(M) took Bibhutipur, and the CPI failed to secure a seat after the Left contested 33 constituencies.
• In Paliganj, CPI(ML)-L candidate Sandeep Saurav defeated Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) nominee Sunil Kumar by more than 6,600 votes.
• Left leaders called the result a major setback and sought introspection, alleging voter-roll manipulation, misuse of state machinery, and the influence of a Rs 10,000 transfer to women voters.
• Vote shares slipped from 2020 levels, with CPI(ML)-L at about 2.89 percent and CPI(M) at 0.62 percent, as early EC data also reflected weak showings for RJD and Congress.