Early trends from the Bihar Assembly elections indicate a sweeping lead for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has crossed the 200-seat mark as of 1:30 p.m., suggesting a landslide victory for the coalition.
According to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) update at 1:30 p.m., the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the single largest party in the race, maintaining a lead in 91 constituencies. The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) follows with leads in 81 seats, placing it second within the alliance.
Other NDA constituents are also showing comfortable early momentum. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP(RV)] is ahead in 21 constituencies, while the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) [HAMS] are leading in four seats each.
On the opposition side, the Mahagathbandhan is trailing significantly, with early trends placing the alliance at 36 seats. The bloc, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), faces a substantial deficit as counting progresses.
Vote counting for all 243 Assembly seats began at 8 a.m., starting with the verification and counting of postal ballots. Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes were taken up from 8:30 a.m., with the process unfolding under multi-layered security across designated counting centers throughout the state.
Candidates and leaders from both alliances expressed confidence as initial numbers came in. NDA leaders stated that the trends reflected public approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance assurances and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s development initiatives in Bihar. They claimed that the voters had reaffirmed their trust in the ruling coalition’s track record.
In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan leadership asserted that the people had voted for change. The coalition maintained optimism that its chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, would receive the mandate to form the next government once the final results were declared.
More than 70 crore voters participated in the Assembly elections, casting their ballots to determine the political direction of both the incumbent NDA and the Mahagathbandhan. The polls were conducted in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, marking another high-stakes electoral contest for the state.
In the outgoing Assembly, the NDA held 131 seats, with BJP at 80, JD(U) at 45, HAMS at four, and two Independents extending support. The Opposition bloc occupied 111 seats, comprising 77 of the RJD, 19 of the Congress, 11 of CPI(ML), two of CPI(M), and two of CPI.
As counting continues, the NDA’s strong early lead positions the alliance for a decisive victory, with final outcomes expected later in the day.
