The counting of votes for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly began at 8 am on Friday, with early trends showing an intense contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan. Initial numbers suggest that the NDA has crossed the halfway mark of 122 seats, while the Opposition continues to put up a strong fight.
NDA Takes Early Lead
By 9:30 am, early trends from PValue Analytics indicated that the NDA was ahead on 141 seats, maintaining a significant advantage. The Mahagathbandhan’s leads dipped to 65 seats, even as the RJD briefly overtook the BJP in the number of individual seats led.
RJD, BJP Neck-and-Neck in Party-Wise Leads
At around 9:17 am, the RJD was ahead on 59 seats, while the BJP led on 54 seats, reflecting a competitive race on the ground.
Election Commission’s Initial Trends
The Election Commission’s early trends showed the NDA leading on 12 seats (BJP-7, LJP-2, JD(U)-3), while the Mahagathbandhan led on 4 seats (RJD-2, Congress-2). These numbers are expected to shift as counting progresses.
Key Candidates and Constituencies
• Tejashwi Yadav leads in Raghopur, while
• Tej Pratap Yadav, expelled from the RJD earlier this year, saw fluctuating leads in Mahua as a Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) candidate.
• Constituencies like Alinagar, Patna Sahib, Buxar, and Lakhisarai were among early gainers for the BJP.
• The RJD showed strength in Raghopur, Bodh Gaya, Hajipur, and other key battlefields.
Early Storyline of the Day
The day began with the BJP establishing the first leads in Alinagar and Tarapur. BJP minister Nitin Nabin expressed confidence of a “200-seat” sweep, echoing the sentiment of several exit polls predicting a comfortable NDA majority.
Security Measures and Voter Turnout
The Election Commission deployed three-layer security across 46 counting centres in all 38 districts of Bihar. Victory processions have been restricted under the Model Code of Conduct and Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Bihar registered an impressive 66.91% voter turnout, with Phase 2 recording a historic 69.20%.
Exit Polls and Surprises
Most exit polls projected a commanding NDA win, with only one—Journo Mirror—forecasting a Mahagathbandhan majority. As counting continues, both alliances remain hopeful of turning the tide.
Candidates in the Fray
A total of 2,616 candidates contested across all 243 constituencies, with 1,302 contesting in Phase 1 and 1,314 in Phase 2.
More updates are expected through the day as counting continues and the electoral picture becomes clearer.
