Congress Optimistic Amid NDA's Initial Lead in Bihar

As NDA shows an early lead in Bihar elections, Congress opts to wait for final results, believing in a Mahagathbandhan comeback. With concerns over alleged voting malpractice, Congress's Krishna Allavaru calls for a government serving Bihar's people better, highlighting longstanding governance issues under Nitish Kumar.

Even as early trends indicated the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was poised for a significant majority in the Bihar assembly elections, Krishna Allavaru, the Congress party's Bihar in-charge, urged patience. He expressed trust in a potential reversal of fortunes, underscoring the failure of Nitish Kumar's two-decade governance to deliver tangible benefits to the people.

"Trends are only for the start. We remain hopeful that a government will be formed that truly benefits the people of Bihar. After 20 years, if someone has not delivered, Mahagathbandhan deserves a chance," Allavaru told ANI, while voicing concerns over alleged vote theft, which has been protested by Congress and other parties.

The early numbers on Friday showed NDA leading well past the halfway mark with 159 seats. The BJP led in 69, and Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in 67 constituencies. However, the Mahagathbandhan lagged behind, leading in only 76 seats, with Tejashwi Yadav's RJD holding 51 of those. The election involved 2,616 candidates and 12 parties across all constituencies, with no calls for repolling.

(With inputs from agencies.)