The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar appeared to be headed towards a thumping victory and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seemed prepared to secure a fifth consecutive term, as the latest trends showed the alliance had secured over 200 of the 243 seats in the state. Kumar is the state's longest-serving chief minister.
At 1.00 pm, the trends showed the NDA had surpassed its 2020 mark, when it secured 122 seats. The Mahagathbandhan, on the other hand, was leading in merely 44 seats while Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party failed to open an account.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav is trailing in Raghopur. Besides Yadav, prominent candidates of both alliances include Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD)'s Tej Pratap and Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar
The counting of votes began at 8 am. Most exit polls have predicted a clean sweep for the NDA, of which the JD(U) is a part. Tejashwi Yadav has dismissed the predictions and claimed the Mahagathbandhan would form the government with a thumping majority.
The state registered a historic voter turnout of 67.13% in the two-phase elections to the 243-member assembly that was held on November 6 and 11.
