Bihar Election: Controversy, Claims, and Counting in Contentious Arena

As Bihar's vote counting begins, Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleges voter suppression against opposition supporters, questioning democracy's integrity. The NDA leads, as initial results show BJP and JD(U) performing strongly, while Congress lags. Amid tight security, officials oversee the process, with exit polls favoring NDA's victory.

In Bihar's contentious election atmosphere, Congress MP Manickam Tagore has raised allegations of discriminatory voter suppression as votes are being tallied. According to Tagore, an alleged deletion of 6.5 million opposition supporters' votes threatens the democratic process. "If the field is uneven, democracy cannot thrive," he opined on platform X.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is currently crossing the crucial halfway mark of 122 in the Bihar assembly as counting unfolds. The Election Commission's reports show NDA leading on 167 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ahead in 71 seats while Janata Dal (United) leads in 72 constituencies. Chirag Paswan's LJP(RV) is leading in 18 seats.

While the BJP and JD(U) enjoy high conversion rates of 67% and 64% respectively, the Opposition's Mahagathbandhan trails, achieving leads in only 60 seats. With the AIMIM ahead in two seats and Congress showing unimpressive results, the stage is set for a potential NDA triumph as security forces remain vigilant and officials tally votes efficiently.

(With inputs from agencies.)