The counting of votes has commenced in Bihar. "We are going to win. Thanks to everyone. A change is about to come. We are forming the government," declared Tejashwi Yadav, the Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial face and RJD leader.
Exit polls have been almost unanimous in predicting a clean sweep for the NDA (which includes the JD(U)), much to the chagrin of the opposition INDIA bloc. However, Tejashwi Yadav, the young RJD leader and the opposition coalition's chief ministerial candidate, rubbished the predictions, confidently asserting that the Mahagathbandhan would win a thumping majority.
Counting underway
Amid tight security, the counting of votes for the 243 Assembly seats in Bihar began on Friday morning, officials confirmed. The vote tabulation for the two-phase elections commenced at 8:00 AM across 46 centres. Following the Election Commission's directives, the counting of postal ballots started first, with the count for EVMs scheduled to begin at 8:30 AM.
During the counting process, control units are brought to the counting tables, round by round. They are verified by the counting agents to ensure the seals are intact and the serial numbers precisely match the records documented in Part I of Form 17C.
The number of votes recorded in the EVMs is then cross-verified against the corresponding entries in Form 17C. Should any mismatch occur, the VVPAT slips from that specific polling station must be counted mandatorily.
Bihar Elections 2025
The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections were successfully held in two phases on November 6 and November 11. The state saw a remarkably high, record-breaking voter turnout in both rounds. The Election Commission reported a 65.09 per cent turnout in the first phase, with the second phase reaching an even higher 68.76 per cent. These numbers mark the highest polling percentages ever recorded in Bihar's electoral history.
ALSO READ: Bihar Election Results 2025: Counting begins, who's winning - Nitish Kumar or Tejashwi Yadav?
