It's NDA vs Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, as counting for 243 seats is underway, starting with postal ballot counting at 8 am, followed by EVMs. Bihar, the fourth-largest assembly in India, is ready for a decisive verdict, which will determine whether Nitish Kumar retains power as the Chief Minister or Tejashwi Yadav manages to overturn the rule.
Early trends show NDA faring well, even crossing the majority mark, touching 190 seats. The Mahagathbandhan follows with 49 seats, while the others have 4 seats. This also makes the BJP the largest party in the state with 84 seats, close to the JD(U) at 76. In the strike rate, the BJP has outperformed the JD(U) at 82 per cent.
JD(U) showed the largest conversion rate of over 68 per cent, followed by the BJP at 66 per cent. Within the INDIA bloc, the RJD registered the highest conversion rate at 22 per cent.
The winning camp is showing optimism and excitement following the trend, as they reflect upon a "Double-engine government", and the hit duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Notably, the NDA seat-sharing formula is: BJP (101), JD(U) (101), LJP (RV) (29), HAM (6), and RLM (6).
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Bihar polls are a "model election", with zero repolls and a record participation of voters. During the counting, the ECI has ensured tight security measures at 46 counting centers in 38 districts. From CAPF personnel guarding the inner security circle to a counting supervisor, assistant, and micro-observer, strict security arrangements are in order. Moreover, during the voting phases, too, no act of violence or unnecessary chaos was reported from the state.
Key candidates to watch out for!Key candidates to look out for include:
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (RJD): Trailing from Raghopur
Tej Pratap Yadav (JJD): Trailing from Mahua
Maithili Thakur (BJP): Leading from Alinagar
Vijay Kumar Sinha (BJP): Leading from Lakhisarai
Anant Kumar Singh (JDU): Leading from Mokama
Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD): Trailing from Chhapra
Osama Shahab (RJD): Trailing from Raghonathpur
Vijay Kumar Choudhary (JDU): Trailing from Sarairanjan
Prem Kumar (BJP): Leading from Gaya town
Renu Devi (BJP): Leading from Bettiah
Nitish Mishra (BJP): Leading from Jhanjharpur
Yusuf Salahuddin (RJD): Trailing from Simri Bakhtiarpur
By-election results are also scheduled today in eight assembly seats across six states, as well as Jammu and Kashmir.