NEW DELHI: Bihar poll results show that there is nothing "grand" about the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan. The near-rout of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led front by the JD (U)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) makes it imperative for the Opposition to re-invent itself before the next year's assembly elections. Put simply, it is soul-searching time for Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders.

After the completion of several rounds of counting, the grand old party, the Congress is staring at one of its worst electoral performances in the state. Leading only in a few seats out of the 61 seats it contested, and its strike rate was in single-digits.

In 2020, the RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats. The Congress won 19 seats.

While the NDA's landslide victory is

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