The ruling NDA appeared to have taken an early lead in the Bihar assembly elections on Friday morning, with the BJP-JD(U) combine ahead as counting was underway for 243 assembly seats at 46 centres in 38 districts. As per the latest trends, NDA ahead in 191 assembly seats, INDIA bloc in 47 seats in Bihar, according to the Election Commission of India at 12:00 noon.
In the early trends, at 12:00 noon
- BJP: 85
- JDU: 76
- LJP(RV): 22
- HAM(S): 5
- RML: 3
- RJD: 33
- Congress: 6
- VIP: 1
- CPI(ML)(L): 6
- CPI(M): 2
- AIMIM: 3
- Others: 1
The counting of votes for the state's 243 assembly constituencies began at 8 am, with postal ballots taken up first, in keeping with Election Commission norms. Counting of EVM votes commenced at 8.30 am, officials said.
The two-phase Bihar elections are being viewed as a crucial test for JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, the state's longest-serving CM, whose political stock has been under scrutiny following shifting alliances and anti-incumbency sentiments.
Political observers say the results will also be read as a judgment on the Narendra Modi government's popularity, months after the BJP-led NDA suffered setbacks in last year's Lok Sabha polls.
For the NDA, a victory is expected to reinforce the perception that the coalition has regained ground after the parliamentary poll jolt. For the opposition INDIA bloc, a strong performance will offer a morale boost after defeats in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi, which they have attributed to "vote theft".
Counting is expected to continue through the day, with clear trends likely to emerge by afternoon.
