Bihar Elections 2025: What exit polls predicted and what were the actual results
Bihar Assembly Election Results 2025: The results fall in line with what the exit polls predicted. However, none of the exit polls, baring one, had predicted the exact victory margin for the NDA.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) completely decimated the Mahagathbandhan or the grand alliance in Bihar and is set to form the government in the state again, winning more than 200 seats in the 243-member Legislative Assembly, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
By the time this story was filed, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 89 seats. Similarly, incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United (JDU) won 85 seats. Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) won 19 seats.
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) won five and four seats, respectively.
The results fall in line with what the exit polls predicted. However, none of the exit polls, baring one, had predicted the exact victory margin for the NDA. Only the Poll Diary exit poll had predicted that the BJP-led NDA can win around 184 to 209 seats.
The India TV-Matrize exit poll had predicted that the NDA may win within a range of 147 to 167 seats. It had also said that the Mahagathbandhan - forged by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and other small parties, including the Left parties - was projected to win within a range of only 70-90 seats.
The BJP, the JDU, the HAM-S, the LJP-RV and the RLM were projected to win 65-73, 67-75, 4-5, 7-9 and 1-2 seats, respectively, as per the India TV-Matrize exit poll.
Meanwhile, other exit polls such Chanakya Strategy had projected 130 to 138 seats for the NDA and 100 to 108 seats for the Mahagathbandhan. The Polstrat had said that the NDA and the grand alliance may win 133 to 148 seats and 87 to 102 seats, respectively.
The JVC exit poll had predicted 135 to 150 seats for the NDA and 88 to 103 seats for the Mahagathbandhan. The DV Research projected that the NDA may win 137 to 152 seats and the grand alliance could bag 83 to 98 seats.
Assembly elections were held in two phases, November 6 and 11, amid alleged irregularities in revision of electoral rolls by the ECI, and a voter turnout of 66.91 per cent was recorded. The NDA's victory in Bihar polls is also significant as many see it as a prelude to assembly polls in West Bengal and Assam, scheduled to be held in the next six months.