PATNA, Nov 14: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) extends its dominance in the early trends of the Bihar Assembly election counting, currently leading in a substantial 166 seats out of the 243 contested. This significant tally positions the NDA well above the majority mark of 122, according to the latest updates from the Election Commission.
In stark contrast, the opposition coalition, known as the INDIA bloc, lags considerably, showing leads in only 59 seats. Election officials caution that the numbers may fluctuate as several rounds of counting remain pending.
Breaking down the NDA’s performance, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the frontrunner with leads in 72 seats, while its ally, the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)], follows closely with 71 seats. Other NDA constituents, including the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramsinh) [LJP (RV)], secured leads in 18 seats, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) in four, and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Manch (RLM) managed to secure one seat.
On the other side, within the INDIA bloc, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leads in 43 seats, the Indian National Congress tracks behind with eight, and the CPI(ML) Liberation secures six seats. The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] are trailing with one seat each.
New parties like the Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), have faced setbacks, trailing in all constituencies they contested.
Focusing on key candidates, RJD’s Khesari Lal Yadav trails in Chhapra, while the BJP’s Maithili Thakur is currently leading in Alinagar. Joining them, Osama Shahab of the RJD is ahead in Ragunathpur, and JD(U) minister Leshi Singh leads in Dhamdaha.
Tejashwi Yadav, the Chief Ministerial face for the INDIA bloc, maintains a lead in Raghopur. Additionally, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai) are also showing strong leads in their respective constituencies.
Notably, in Mahua, Tej Pratap Yadav finds himself in a challenging position, currently ranked fourth, with LJP(RV)’s Sanjay Kumar Singh dominating the polling.
As the counting progresses, all eyes remain on Bihar, as the definitive outcome of this election will have significant implications for the political landscape of the state. Voter sentiments and trends observed in this election may foreshadow their preferences leading into the future.
