Patna (Bihar) [India], November 14 : Early trends in the Bihar elections show the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) moving past the halfway mark, strengthening its lead over the Mahagathbandhan.
By 9:15 am, the NDA was ahead in 130 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan led in 65 constituencies, reflecting a 27% conversion rate.
The Bharatiya Janata Party topped the chart with leads in 60 seats, followed by its partner Janata Dal (United), which was ahead in 54 seats. Their conversion rates averaged 67%y.
The Mahagathbandhan appeared to be facing major setbacks, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal losing 12 seats compared to 2020 and leading in only 45 constituencies. The Indian National Congress was ahead in 12 seats.
Counting of votes for all 243 constituencies began at 8 am amid tight security. Officials began tallying postal ballots, with the counting of EVM votes scheduled to start at 8:30 am.
Elaborate security arrangements are in place, with 4,372 counting tables and over 18,000 counting agents overseeing the process. Most exit polls predict a comfortable victory for the NDA, with some projecting the Mahagathbandhan to win.
According to the ECI's official press note, 2,616 candidates and 12 recognised political parties participated in the two-phase polls on November 6 and 11, and none requested repolling in any constituency.
The main election contest in the Bihar elections is between the National Democratic Alliance, led by CM Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav's Mahagathbandhan.
In the 2020 election, the NDA secured a majority in the assembly and won 125 seats, with Nitish Kumar again taking oath as Chief Minister. However, in August 2022, Nitish Kumar broke the alliance with the BJP and resigned as Chief Minister, forming a government with the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan.
He had emerged as a key figure in the formation of the combined opposition INDIA bloc. However, Kumar's romance with the RJD lasted for less than two years, and in January 2024, ahead of the parliamentary polls, Kumar returned to the NDA.
BJP improved its position between the 2015 and 2020 polls. It won 53 of 157 seats it contested in 2015 and 74 of 110 seats in 2020. The Rashtriya Janata Dal has also shown a strong performance, having won 80 of the 101 seats it contested in 2015 and 75 of the 144 seats it put up candidates in during the 2020 polls.
JD-U saw a dip in its performance in the last two polls. It won 71 seats of 101 it contested in 2015 and 43 of 115 in 2020. Congress also saw a decline in performance from 27 seats it won in 2015 to 19 in 2020.