Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) State President in Bihar, Magani Lal Mandal, on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, alleged that nearly 6,100 ballots cast for his party's candidate in the Patna Graduates' constituency were rejected on technical grounds to tilt the outcome of the Bihar Legislative Council (MLC) elections in favour of Janata Dal (United) candidate Neeraj Kumar. Mandal claimed the RJD candidate had polled the highest number of votes before the alleged rejections changed the result.

The Core Allegation

Mandal was unambiguous in attributing the rejections to political manipulation. 'Nearly 6,100 of our votes have been rejected on technical grounds because they wanted Nitish Kumar ji's candidate, Neeraj, to win. We got the maximum votes. There is a discrepancy in counting too,' he alleged.

He noted that the use of ballot papers — rather than electronic voting machines — in the MLC elections introduced additional complexity, as candidate standings could shift as second, third, and fourth preference rounds were tallied. The RJD has said it will assess the full results before deciding on a formal appeal.

INDIA Bloc Unity Under Strain

Mandal also turned his criticism inward, attributing the INDIA Bloc's subdued performance in the MLC polls partly to the Congress party's conduct. He alleged that the contest had effectively become a 'friendly fight' between alliance partners, with no joint candidate finalised in time. The defeat of Congress leader Madan Mohan Jha was cited as a particularly significant setback.

'The alliance had not announced a common candidate in advance,' Mandal said, pointing to what he described as a fundamental failure of electoral coordination. This comes amid broader concerns about opposition cohesion ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.

On EVMs, Ballot Papers, and Electoral Reform

Addressing the ongoing debate over electronic voting machines, Mandal offered a nuanced position. While acknowledging technical vulnerabilities in EVMs, he stopped short of endorsing a full return to ballot papers. 'EVMs can have issues, technical issues. This is our party's stance, and I agree with it. However, ballot also cannot be the ultimate solution because the votes of the minority sections are subsumed,' he said.

He argued that India's electoral systems must evolve alongside technological advances and that neither format should be treated as a permanent, unquestionable solution.

Remarks on Democracy and Dissent

In a broader political statement, Mandal alleged that opposition to public agitations was being used as a pretext to curtail democratic freedoms. He claimed that some of those opposing protests were acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Invoking former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's references to 'limited democracy' and a 'limited judiciary,' he argued it was time to implement that principle. 'Democracy can only be guaranteed by the one who is in power. Touting the idea of democracy and practising democracy have distinct attributes,' he said.

He also commented on the Congress party's focus on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka, arguing that issues such as unemployment and inflation deserved equal attention in any political movement.

What Comes Next

The RJD has said it will review the full counting results before deciding whether to mount a formal challenge. The outcome of the Patna Graduates' constituency MLC seat — and the alleged ballot rejections — is likely to remain a flashpoint in Bihar's already charged political environment as attention turns toward the next state assembly cycle.