NDA Surges Ahead in Bihar Polls, Mahagathbandhan Trails

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the halfway mark in Bihar elections, leading with 167 seats according to early trends, while the Opposition's Mahagathbandhan is trailing at 60 seats. Prominent leaders, including Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav, face a tight contest as the vote counting continues.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the halfway mark in Bihar's electoral race, securing a lead with 167 of the 229 seats counted so far, according to the Election Commission of India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads in 71 seats, while Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) heads in 72 constituencies.

The Mahagathbandhan, spearheaded by Tejashwi Yadav, trails with leads on only 60 seats. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) holds 43 of these leads, but its allies, including Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, lag behind with eight and six seats, respectively. The AIMIM has edged ahead in two contested seats.

Vote counting for all 243 constituencies commenced at 8 am under tight security, employing over 4,000 counting tables and 18,000 agents. As results trickle in, most exit polls favor an NDA triumph, suggesting minimal resistance from the Mahagathbandhan. The election marks another chapter in Bihar's dynamic political landscape.

(With inputs from agencies.)