PATNA, Nov 14: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has surged ahead in the early trends of the Bihar Assembly election counting, securing leads in 166 seats, well above the majority mark of 122. The Election Commission reports that the opposition INDIA bloc trails significantly, leading in only 59 of the 243 seats as multiple rounds of counting continue.
Among the NDA’s leading parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed victory in 72 seats, while Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) secured 71 seats. The Lok Janshakti Party (RV) found itself leading in 18 seats, followed by the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) with four, and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) in one.
In a stark contrast, the INDIA bloc witnessed the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ahead in 43 seats. The Indian National Congress secured eight seats, the CPI(ML)-Liberation six, and both Communists (CPI and CPI(M)) found themselves leading in one seat each.
The fate of key candidates has also sparked interest among voters. RJD’s Khesari Lal Yadav, a popular figure, trails in Chhapra, whereas BJP’s rising star Maithili Thakur shows strong leadership in Alinagar. RJD’s Osama Shahab leads in Ragunathpur, while JD(U) Minister Leshi Singh is ahead in Dhamdaha.
Tejashwi Yadav, the chief ministerial face for the INDIA bloc, showed signs of resilience by leading in Raghopur. Likewise, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary from Tarapur and Vijay Kumar Sinha from Lakhisarai also held promising leads.
However, not all candidates fared well. In Mahua, the former minister Tej Pratap Yadav has sunk to fourth place, with LJP(RV)’s Sanjay Kumar Singh currently leading.
As the counting progresses, election officials caution that these trends may fluctuate, emphasizing the political dynamics at play in Bihar. The outcome of this election bears significant implications not only for local governance but also for future political alignments in the state.
