Bihar Election Tally: NDA Leads with Solid Majority as Vote Counting Progresses

As vote counting unfolds in Bihar, initial trends reveal a strong lead for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the Mahagathbandhan. At 9:30 am, the NDA was ahead with 150 seats. The BJP and JD(U) showed robust conversion rates, while the RJD led among opposition allies.

The riveting Bihar Assembly election vote count began on Thursday, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) initially taking a commanding lead over the Mahagathbandhan. As of 9:30 am, NDA secured leads in 150 seats, bolstered by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), leading on 65 and 63 seats respectively.

The JD(U) and BJP demonstrated high success rates of over 68% and 66%, respectively, while Mahagathbandhan trailed with a mere 75-seat lead. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), with Tejashwi Yadav at the helm, led on 49 seats, overshadowing its underperforming allies. Congress held leads on 16 seats and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation on six. RJD boasted a 36% conversion rate within the coalition.

Notably, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj led on three seats, and AIMIM held a single-seat lead. Prominent contenders, including Tejashwi Yadav on the Raghopur seat and BJP leaders on the Tarapur and Alinagar seats, demonstrated strong leads. Amid tight security, vote counting began at 8 am with 4,372 counting tables and over 18,000 agents deployed. Officials first tallied postal ballots, followed by EVM votes. The main contest features the NDA, led by Nitish Kumar, against the Mahagathbandhan, steered by Tejashwi Yadav. Initial exit polls suggest an easy NDA victory, though some hint at a Mahagathbandhan triumph. No repolls were requested post the two-phase elections held earlier this month.

(With inputs from agencies.)